Nixie the Dragon: Season 4
by C-Alrich
Summary: A walk through of Teen Wolf: Season 4, but with my beloved character, Nixie Haven. Romance, Danger, and Excitement all around! Pairing Jordan/OC. Rated M for language, violence, my constant paranoia, etc. (Reconstruction is now finished! Hope you enjoy!)
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: "I do not own Teen Wolf. The show, the characters, and any quotes from the show belong to Jeff Davis and his amazing team of writers. I only own Nixie, and anything I make her do or say."

I'm back! Hello everyone!

So, as a heads up, when I began going back over Season 4 to redo it, I didn't think it would change quite this much. The baseline of the plot is still the same, as I promised it would be. But I did end up adding quite a lot of stuff to this story. I think the original count is, like, seventy-some thousand words. We're about to sky-rocket past that, just FYI. At least, I think, if I'm estimating it correctly.

So, just be braced for that. This new version of Season 4 will be quite a bit longer than the original. And I do hope you like what I've done with it instead. I like it better, in any case.

And without further adieu, here is Teen Wolf Season 4... again. :)

* * *

Chapter 1: Episode 4x1

It wasn't odd for Nixie to be at the sheriff's station. In fact, it was considered weirder if you could find a day when she wasn't there, as opposed to the days when she was there. Even over the course of the summer, Nixie's time at the station had only diminished slightly. She and her friends spent a week together on vacation at the beach, and for that time, Nixie was absent.

But for the most part, it was a given that, at some point in the day, Nixie would walk through the door, sit on the couch next to Jordan's desk, and start reading a book, or doing research on her laptop… or any of the many other things that everyone knows must occupy her time.

Stiles, ironically enough, could be found at the station less than her. Which is why, though he swore Jordan to secrecy, Stiles finally divulged exactly what went into the coffee that he always made for Nixie. Heavy sweet cream, some mocha chocolate, espresso, and…

The secret ingredients were Cinnamon Dolce and Toffeenut flavorings. And in truth, Stiles eventually confessed that he found the original recipe online, and tweaked it from there until Nixie thought it was the best thing she'd ever tasted. So basically, Stiles' coffee was just a twist on what was called a 'Rainy Day Latte'.

Jordan was chuckling by the time Stiles had finished telling him the story, and swore that he wouldn't reveal to Nixie what he knew. He doubts that she'd care though. By now, Jordan has come to realize that, as far as Nixie is concerned, the coffee he gives her is just a way of his showing he cares and appreciates all that she tries to do for him. The boy could probably buy her coffee from Starbucks, and she'd still drink it happily. Maybe not as happily, but she'd appreciate it nonetheless.

In any case, Jordan knows how to make her coffee now. He actually did it one day, and Nixie had frozen in place after taking her first sip. Her narrowed gaze met his gentle one for a moment, but he just carried on with his work… and she carried on drinking her coffee and reading her book.

So yeah. Nixie being at the station, wasn't strange. Her sitting on the couch, closest to Jordan's desk, wasn't strange.

Her arriving at the station with a large duffle bag full of supplies and clothes… that was a bit odd. Jordan had tilted his head curiously at her when she walked in with Stiles and Scott, heading for the sheriff's office.

He couldn't tell what was going on inside. He just sees Noah eventually nodding his head at whatever they're asking of him, and they come back out and prepare to leave. Nixie was about to just follow her boys out the door, when she faltered a bit in her step and stopped. Glancing back at Jordan, a slight blush entering her cheeks, she turns back and walks up to his desk.

Putting down the most recent report he'd been working on, Jordan provides her with his attention and asks, "What's up Nixie? Looks like you're about to go on quite a hike." She grins a little, "Yeah. 'One last hurrah', as Stiles says, before the new school year starts up. We're going camping for a few days. Maybe a week. It's undetermined for right now."

Jordan nods, "Well, try to stay out of trouble. Is Lydia going with you guys?" "Yeah, why?" "Oh, no reason. Just wanted to be sure. She's getting a bit of a reputation around here." Smirking a little, he adds, "I'd hate to think she'd be here without your protection against all the speculation."

Nixie laughs lightly, "Well, no worries on that front." Nodding, Jordan then says, "Be safe. Try to keep those boys of yours out of trouble too." Nixie grins, "I'll do my best, but you know us by now. Trouble just seems to follow us around like a magnet." "Yeah. Something like that."

He wasn't stupid, and Nixie knew that. And as he looked at her with those knowing hazel eyes… Nixie had the sense that he was looking into her, seeing into the past and into the secrets that she knew about this town and all that had happened here. He knows that she has more information than she's telling everyone. He knows that she and her friends, for whatever the reason, can somehow always be connected to the bigger mysteries that revolve around Beacon Hills.

But he also knows, without any shred of doubt, that Nixie is one of the best people he'd ever met. He wouldn't be satisfied with being kept in the dark forever. He was the sheriff's deputy now. The second in command at the station. And any of the weirder requests that were made, or any requests that Nixie and her friends made… it all got routed to him. So no… he wouldn't be okay with being left out of the loop forever.

For now though… he'd settle for knowing that Nixie was a good person. And whatever information she wanted, and whatever she was asking someone to do… it was for the benefit of the greater good, even if he didn't have a clue what that greater good was just yet.

They stare at each other a moment longer, until Nixie ducks her head, biting at her bottom lip for a moment. Jordan takes a deep breath and makes a mental note that, someday in the future, he's going to have to find a way to ask her to stop doing that. It was entirely too tempting of an action, and it was probably, at some point, going to have a detrimental effect on his career.

Looking back up at Jordan, she says, "Well… see you around, Parrish." He nods, but as she walks away, he asks, "Did you need something?" "No. I'm good. Just… um… wanted to explain why I wouldn't be here for a while. Not that it really matters, but…" Jordan smiles at her gently and says, "Thank you for the update. We do get a little worried around here when our most constant patron just stops showing up without warning."

Nixie chuckles, and then says, "Bye J… Parrish." "Goodbye Nixie. Have fun camping."

And as she steps out the door and starts making her way to Stiles' jeep, she says to herself, "Oh yeah. We'll have loads of fun. Taking on the cartel version of hunters. Trying to find Derek in a desert. And trying to do it all before school starts. Yeah. Loads of fun."

* * *

Araya Calavera, sitting behind the table in front of Lydia and Stiles, smiles as if she doesn't have a care in the world. With a clear Mexican accent in her voice, she says, "Sevaro hates this music." She gestures to the man standing to her left, the one who had brought Stiles and Lydia back to have this conversation. Then she says, "But me? I've always loved the music of youth. This kind, especially. It has a savage energy."

Lydia and Stiles look at each other, trying to ignore the fact that Araya had a knife in her hands, roughly tearing into a piece of cloth between each sentence. Then Lydia says, "We're here for Derek Hale." Araya smirks and asks, "Is that so?" Lydia nods and adds, "We know you have him. And we hear… you can be bought."

Stiles takes out the money, laying it on the table side by side in stacks. Gesturing, he says, "It's fifty-thousand for Derek." Araya stops slicing with her knife, and asks with mock curiosity, "Now… where does a teenage boy get money like this?" Then she narrows her gaze and suggests, "Japanese mafia?"

Which was true, actually. As every single gun in the room is cocked and prepared to fire, Stiles and Lydia still look to each other with a bit of a grin. After Kincaid had taken the Shugendo scroll and sold it last year, he'd left and never come back to Beacon Hills, as promised. But he did keep in contact with an unknown source there, in the interest of seeing if he could ever repay the debt he owed to Nixie.

Kincaid was a lot of things, and not very many of them were good. But… he was a man who didn't enjoy feeling like he owed anyone anything. And he felt like he owed Nixie, for the deal she'd made him that night.

So when he heard that they were on the hunt for Derek Hale, and that they were trying to find a way to purchase his freedom from the Calaveras… Deaton suddenly received a package with Nixie's name on it at the clinic. Fifty-thousand dollars inside, to help them with their problem.

It had made them all laugh at the time, when Nixie had still been unhappy, because even though Kincaid was gone, he had a contact in Beacon Hills. She told everyone that as soon as they were done finding Derek, they needed to maybe work on forcing Kincaid's contact to leave as well.

In any case, that's where the money had come from. Maybe not necessarily the mafia anymore… but from a former mafia member, which was close enough.

Araya Calavera, head of the Calavera hunters in Mexico, leans forward onto her desk. Smirking at the two of them, she says, "Not smart to come alone." Stiles and Lydia give each other an encouraging look, and then Stiles asks mysteriously, "What makes you think we came alone?"

And it gives him a little bit of pleasure to see the smile slip from Araya's face.

Back in the club, Malia is out on the dance floor, blending in perfectly. Kira is sitting at a booth in the corner. And as Araya asks the two before her, "You brought a wolf into my home?" Stiles' response is simply, "We brought an alpha." And then Lydia grins and adds, "And our own personal guardian angel."

And in the club, near one of the beams holding up the banisters, Scott casts his gaze out across the room before turning and grinning at Nixie, who was standing to his right. Getting into the club may have been tricky… but he knows it would've been nearly impossible without her. When they finally figured out the building they'd need to enter, Nixie had scoped it out, found all entrances and exits, and then chosen the most ideal one for them to enter.

He knows she's still not very psyched that Stiles and Lydia had to come in alone, and were with Araya right now, by themselves. But he needed her here, watching the room with him. And if worst came to worst, he needed her to hide and disappear, so she could get their asses out of here later. She wasn't thrilled about that either. In fact, she wasn't exactly thrilled with any part of this plan.

But they were short on options, and they were short on time. So here they were.

Turning so his back is to the room, he says just loud enough for her to hear, "Anything?" To anyone else, his voice would've been drowned out by the thumping music, the shouting people, and the bodies moving on the dance floor. But for Nixie… she heard him perfectly. In fact, if she takes the time to consider it… it was possible that her hearing was actually becoming even more sensitive than it had always been in the past.

But she couldn't worry about that right now. Instead she nods to Scott's question and says, "Chatter over the radios just skyrocketed. They know we're here. They're looking for us." Nodding, Scott asks, "Any ideas on staying hidden?" "Kira and Malia are dancing, so they should be fine, at least for a while." "And us?"

Nixie shrugs, but then pulls Scott over so his back is to the column they're standing against. Coming up closer to him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders, she says, "Pretend you're kissing my neck. Put your hands on my waist." He does as she says, hiding his face in the curve of her neck. Nixie runs one of her hands over his hair, pretending to encourage him in his actions. Her eyes, however, are ever watchful.

For a while it works. They're left alone, blending in as just another couple in this club who have managed to find a dark corner to hide in.

But then, one of the guards begins watching them closely, and as he makes his way across the room, Nixie leans her head back and closes her eyes, trying to play more into the part. Softly, she says, "Run your hands a little higher up my back." Scott does as she says, but it doesn't work. The man is still coming.

Nixie lowers herself from him, letting a soft smile touch her lips. Then she takes his hand and says, "Come on."

Scott follows after her, back into an empty hallway. When she draws up short and her smile vanishes, he asks, "What's wrong?" "Well, they're not all completely stupid. That's what's wrong right now. One of them was on to us. He'll be here any second." "Right. I'll handle him." "I'll just wait right here."

When Scott raises an eyebrow at that uncharacteristic response, Nixie says, "I'm saving my energy for if I need to save all of you afterwards. Just kick his ass quickly, my dear alpha." Chuckling, Scott nods, and then as the man walks into the hall, Scott takes him out as fast as he can for her.

While he's on the ground, out cold, a voice over the radio begins asking if his section is clear. Scott doesn't understand all of the Spanish, but it doesn't really matter. Picking up the radio, Scott says into it, "Stiles. Take ten off the table."

Nixie grins at Scott and says, "You sounded exceptionally badass by the way. Excellent job." "Thanks. Now, let's get back to the others." "Right."

When they arrive back in the room, Kira and Malia are already handling two more guards that had finally spotted them. Scott sees a third making his way through the room, so he heads over there to handle that one.

Nixie is waiting by the doors for them to come back to her, when a hand lands on her shoulder. Looking up to see who has her, meeting the face of another smirking guard, Nixie tilts her head and asks, "Really? That's the best you have? A hand grab?"

She twists his wrist around so fast that his cry of pain sounds delayed. And even then, it's cut short because Nixie slams him down onto her knee, knowing the wind out of him. Dropping him like a sack of potatoes, she smirks and says, "And I didn't even have to pull out my blades yet. Sweet."

When the other three finally join her, they hurry into the doorway and close the door softly behind them. Walking silently down the halls, Scott turns to Nixie, silently asking which way they need to go. She had the entire place mapped out in her head, so they wouldn't have to deal with bringing any pesky maps along with them.

She points to the right, so Scott leads the way down that hall. They keep going for a bit… until Scott sees the fog and smoke stretching across the floor in front of them. Holding his hand up, keeping the others back, he tries to get closer to see what's going on.

That's when the smoke and fog starts shooting out of vents above their heads. And though Nixie and Kira are fine, Scott gasps in a breath and says, "Wolfsbane! Kira, Nixie… get out of here!" But as Kira tries, her way is blocked by another guard coming in. Scott tells her to look out, and then grabs at Nixie.

Their plan obviously failing at this point, he pulls her down to his level on the ground and says urgently, "Go!" "Scott, I can't just…" "If we want any other chance of getting out of here, you can't be here when they come to get us. Now go!"

She gives him a hard look for a moment, but then takes off back down the hall. Following the map in her head, she takes at least a dozen turns down different halls, until she finds another door leading to the outside.

She waits until she sees several men drag all of her friends out and into vehicles, and then she hotwires a bike from a nearby lot and hightails it after them to the next location they're heading to.

And heaven help these damn Calaveras, if they hurt any of her friends before she could get them out. She's pretty sure she could most definitely get away with murder a lot easier in Mexico then she could back home. And since she was still willing to kill people back home…

If they weren't wary of her already, she would make damn sure they remembered to never make that mistake again.

* * *

Nixie's original plan, which had still needed to be more thought out, was to find out where her friends were being held, and get them out and find a new way to locate Derek. But that went out the door, when she realized that Araya was keeping Lydia separate from the rest.

Now she was lying down on top of the section of roof that hung out over the porch where Lydia and Araya were sitting. Flat as she could be, and breathing slow and steady, she was listening closely, trying to discern when she would need to intervene in order to make sure Lydia stayed safe.

As Araya pours tea into a cup, she says, "I have to admit, I don't have much experience with banshees." Lydia sighs and shrugs, "That makes two of us, since I don't have much experience being one."

Araya doesn't miss that, in spite of how frightened Lydia may be at this moment… the girl wasn't shaking. She didn't look as though she thought she were about to die. In fact, Lydia's eyes kept darting around randomly, as though she were looking for something.

Or someone. But for now, Araya keeps to her topic of banshees, and says, "I have a feeling… you underestimate your abilities, Lydia." Glaring at the woman, Lydia says, "Trust me. You'd have better luck with tarot cards."

Nixie grins from on the roof and whispers softly, "Good girl, Lydia."

But she frowns again and goes back to listening when she hears Araya say, "Let's find out. Tell me, which of these men, is about to die?" Lydia glances at the men in front of the porch. Horrified, she turns back to the woman as though Araya has lost her mind.

But Araya is unfazed. Picking up an orange and beginning to peel with her knife, she asks, "How does it work? Do you need to touch them? Maybe I give you something they own?" Setting her orange down, she asks, "Or is it just… a feeling?" Lydia gives the woman a look, and then says quietly, "I told you. I don't know."

Araya watches her carefully, eyes taking everything in, and then asks, "Just how close to death do they have to be?"

And as she begins tapping on the knife in her hand, Lydia hears it. She follows the sound that only she can hear, and her eyes fall onto the man that she knows is about to die. And then… Araya throws the knife into his chest, right at his heart, killing him.

Lydia lets out a shocked and appalled scream, but Nixie remains still. For now, Lydia was unharmed. And she didn't care what happened to any of the Calavera hunters. Lydia, for her part, asks in horror, "What did you do that for?"

Araya's simple response is, "He stole from me." Then Lydia asks, "What do you want?"

And as Araya watches as Lydia's eyes dart around frantically, desperately looking for something… or someone to suddenly appear, she says, "Right now, I want to know what kind of alpha Scott McCall really is. And I see that you appear to be waiting on him to rescue you. I'm sorry to disappoint, mija. But, he won't be coming until we send for him."

But as Lydia continues to look around, though she tries to be more subtle about it… Araya tilts her head and says, "Or perhaps, you are looking for your guardian angel? Yes?" Lydia snaps her gaze to Araya, who smirks and says, "Your fox friend is also in our little box, young banshee."

And then Lydia relaxes and her eyes flit around her again. She couldn't help it. Every second she spent in front of this woman was making her more worried, scared, and edgy.

Araya tilts her head and says, "Surely you didn't mean the other one. The were-coyote? If we have your alpha, then you know we have her as well. So… if you are not waiting on one of them… who is it that you are waiting for?"

Tapping her finger on the edge of another knife, Araya asks, "I wonder… how close would you have to be to death, before this guardian angel would appear? Better yet… how close to death would you have to be, before you can predict your own death?"

And then a voice whispers next to her ear, "She'll have to be a lot closer then you will ever make her." Lydia's eyes snap to Nixie in surprise, and her entire body slumps in relief. Araya is honestly quite stunned and surprised. Severo was at the doorway, supposedly protecting her and guarding her. But this little friend, one that they had apparently missed beforehand, had somehow slipped past him.

The blade that touches Araya's throat is cold as ice as the voice says, "Let go of the blade." Araya listens, and then watches as Severo levels his gun as Nixie's head. "Drop it. Or I will shoot you in the head."

He says it matter-of-factly. And most people would probably believe him and drop their weapons immediately, or try to run away. But Nixie simply turned to face him. Leaning closer, more into his shot even, Nixie says, "From the way I'm positioned, if you shoot me, she dies."

At Severo's surprised expression, Nixie says, "Your guns don't scare me. So you drop yours, and then maybe, I'll consider dropping my blade."

Araya waves a hand to him to be still and calm down. Once he does, Nixie says, "Lydia. Move this way."

And it was the ease with which Lydia now moved, as though she knew nothing could touch her now, that had Araya grinning as she says, "Ah. So this would be the angel you mentioned. I wonder… does she come with wings of her own?"

As Nixie rounds to the front of the woman, keeping her blade against Araya's throat, Nixie says, "Sorry to disappoint. I'm just handy with knives, and I have quite the murderous streak in me."

When Nixie feels Lydia at her back, holding her hand, Nixie says, "Let's go." "But…" "Now, Lydia." Araya watches her closely as they back away. Tilting her head, Araya says in realization, "You are… human." Tilting her head as well, Nixie says sarcastically, "No shit, Sherlock."

Then she shoves Lydia faster behind her, and they take off down the crowded streets. Lydia keeps a tight grip on Nixie's hand as she weaves them in and out of alleys and between buildings. Coming up to the bike she'd hotwired earlier, Nixie hands the helmet to Lydia and says, "Take it. Get back to the jeep. Then stay close by and wait for me to call you. Got it?" "Okay. But Nix, what about…" "Don't worry. I'm working on that. Just go!"

As soon as Lydia is gone, Nixie sighs and says, "One down. Four to go. Alright Scott… let's see how hard it is to find you now."

* * *

Finding Stiles and Malia was easy. They were in the same room that they had been in when Nixie had first watched them get unloaded from the vehicles. Scott and Kira, however, had been moved.

Nixie orders Stiles and Malia to get out the way she'd come in, and then to run three buildings down and to wait in the alley for her to come and get them. Then she began racing through the building, trying to use her ears to locate Kira or Scott, or both.

It was Scott's roar of pain that finally jerked at her attention. Coming to a full halt and then spinning around to sprint back, she soon came upon one of the guards she'd seen from last night.

The woman, for her part, blinked in surprise at Nixie. And before she could raise her baton to defend herself, or to take Nixie out, Nixie had thrown her dagger at the woman. It sliced through her palm, forcing her to drop the baton from her hand. Then Nixie performed a roundhouse kick on the woman, knocking her in the face and slamming her into the wall next to her. She fell to the ground after that, unconscious.

Nixie hopes she has a concussion, and then grabs her dagger and sprints on. She runs into more guards on the way, but she fights and battles through all of them, leaving a trail of broken bones and moaning men behind her.

Araya was trying to force Scott to guess the name of the person who had Derek. She wanted to test him… to see what kind of an alpha he truly was.

Yeah. Because being a true alpha wasn't good enough already.

She was shoving her other man out of the way, who had stared at her in shock when she said to turn the dial up to 'diez', or ten. But as she made to do it herself, as she was just an inch from touching the dial… a knife sliced through the air, landed in the machine, and tore through the circuitry.

Scott gasps in relief when the electricity stops flowing through his veins. Then he looks up and smirks at the two hunters in the room. "I told you to stop while you were ahead."

And as Nixie sprints into the room, one man falling in front of her as she shoves him to the ground, she takes out two more daggers and slices into the man holding onto Kira. He cries out in pain, already backing away and lifting his hands to defend himself. But it doesn't matter. Nixie breaks his arm, dislocates both his knees, and then for good measure, kicks him hard across the face.

Araya, in spite of backing into the wall, looked downright pissed and aggravated. But it was nothing compared to Nixie's glaring eyes. Slamming one of her daggers into the wall, right beside the woman's head, Nixie yells, "Leave my alpha ALONE!"

And though no one else in the room sees it… Araya does. And her pissed off and aggravated face vanishes; in its place, a look of awe and… almost wonder.

Araya was the head of her hunter family. She had seen much in her time as a hunter. For all she'd done and survived, she was granted great respect and authority.

But even Araya, in all her experience in this life… had never before seen a pair of eyes that glowed silver.

As for Nixie… she felt a very strange sensation run through her body. As though somewhere inside of herself, something was trying to push forward. Some other part of her that was trying to make itself known.

But that didn't make any sense. And in any case, she didn't have time to wonder about that. She could hear more guards coming from the hall outside, and she was going to have to fight them before they would make it out of here.

She was pulling back from Araya, taking her dagger with her and preparing to fight. But as the men barged into the room, weapons drawn and ready, Araya shouts, "Detener! No la lastimes!" And while Nixie and her friends didn't understand what was being said, all of the guards understood it to mean, _"Stop! Do not harm her!"_

Nixie only understood the word 'Stop', which was good enough for her. Coming over to grab hold of Kira, Nixie says, "Let's go."

But as she approaches Scott, he says, "Not yet." "Scott, so help me, I will…" "I figured it out." Tilting her head, Nixie asks, "What? What did you…" "I know who has Derek." "Who?"

And as Scott looks over at Araya, who nods her head in confirmation, Scott says dismally, "Kate."

Nixie blinks in confusion, and then asks, "Kate? Kate… Kate Argent? Kate, the psychotic bitch that nearly killed you, me, Derek… everyone worth keeping around? That Kate?" Scott nods, and then nods again in agreement when Nixie curses under her breath before saying, "Son of a bitch!"

And though eager to leave and be gone from this place, Scott convinces her to stay when Araya offers to provide them with supplies and a guide to take them to where Kate was last rumored to be seen.

It wasn't lost on Scott that, for some reason, Araya appeared to be trying to appease his very pissed off Nixie. She was trying to make up for what she had done to all of Nixie's friends.

And though he would admit that having the Calaveras as an ally would be nice… he found himself still very pleased with how pissed off Nixie remained. I didn't matter that Araya was letting them go willingly, or providing them with aid now. Nixie's only concern was with how her people, her pack, had been treated. And Araya had treated all of them poorly.

The woman had no idea just how much she was going to have to do, in order to make up for that. Scott hadn't seen the person yet, who had ever been completely forgiven, if they'd purposefully hurt one of the people that mattered to Nixie.

* * *

When Braeden pulled up on her motorcycle, Scott nodded in approval, and then glanced at Nixie. She shrugged indifferently in answer to the silent question about her own feelings towards their apparent guide. She liked Braeden… to a certain extent. The woman had the potential to be a great ally someday... if she'd ever get over her need to be paid ridiculous amounts of money for her services. For now though, the woman can be bought, and that wasn't a woman Nixie was willing to trust to any great extent. So she liked Braeden, but that feeling was going to be kept guarded until further notice.

They stand there for a bit, and then Braeden says, "Alright, I'm here. And I'm the only one that's going to take you to 'la iglesia'. So… where is everyone that I'm leading?" Araya nods to that question, wondering the same thing. Since they'd come outside, she had seen no signs of the other members of Scott's pack. It was still only Scott and Nixie, since Nixie had sent Kira away from there as soon as possible. Scott insisted on staying with Nixie, but he had no objections to getting Kira somewhere safer.

Both women look to the two teenagers before them, and then Scott turns his head down to Nixie. Gently squeezing her shoulder, he says, "We need to move. Get them here." Nixie nods after a moment, narrowing her eyes in a brief warning at Araya, before pulling out her phone and sending a group text to everyone else.

And Araya and Braeden look around in surprise when the jeep comes rolling around a corner ten seconds later. Stiles and Malia appear further up at the other end of the street, popping out from between two buildings. And Kira hops down from a balcony roof about two stories off the ground. As they all gather at the jeep that Lydia had driven up behind Braeden, Araya looks to Nixie and asks, "What did you tell them?"

Nixie raises an eyebrow, finding the question ridiculous, and then says, "I texted them _'Time to go.'_ Now they're here, and we're ready to go. Funny how that works."

Lydia hops out of the driver's seat to hand over the reins to Stiles, sliding into the back. Malia and Nixie join her back there. Scott and Kira make themselves as comfortable as possible in the passenger seat up front.

There was still a bit of awkward tension around those two. Nixie could feel it all the time. After Alison died, Scott had been heartbroken. Even if Alison and he weren't together… she'd been his first love. No matter how far apart they would've grown from each other… they would've always held a special place in each other's hearts, forever.

Alison still holds a special place in all of their hearts. That would never change. But in terms of Kira and Scott… everyone could tell that they liked each other. It was just a matter of them figuring out when the time was be right to move on and begin dating each other. Kira's problem was trying to figure out the appropriate amount of time to wait, after Alison had died, to even consider becoming better friends with Scott. And for Scott… it was trying to figure out how long he actually needed for himself, before he felt ready to try again with Kira.

Nixie can't answer that for either of them. Answers like that differed and varied from person to person. So in this case, it's just something they'll have to figure out for themselves.

Nixie's not worried about it though, as Kira rests her head tiredly on Scott's shoulder for a while. They were comfortable around each other. They'd make a cute couple. It wasn't a matter of 'if' it might happen. It was just a matter of 'when'.

For a while, as they trail Braeden down the desert road, they all sit in silence. Hearing Kate's name for four of them was like a worst nightmare coming back to life. To make it even worse than that, it seemed grossly unfair for that bitch to be alive, while Alison was now dead. As for the other two in the car… they were kind of waiting, hoping someone would eventually fill them in about this woman they'd never heard of.

Malia's patience though, while improving and being worked on, still only existed in a small amount right now. So it was her that leans forward and says, "Alright, I'll ask. Who's Kate Argent?"

The temperature dropped just a smidge in the back of the jeep, but no one commented on that as Kira lifted her head and said meekly, "Um… I'd like to know too."

Sighing, Stiles answers, "Well, we were at her funeral. So, I'd like to know how she got out of a casket that was buried six feet underground." Nixie lifts a finger and says, "Excellent point. I am also confounded by that little detail. So how…" But Scott cuts her off gently by saying, "She was never in it." Leaning forward, gently pushing Malia back for a second, Nixie asks, "And how do you know that?" "I'm just… thinking back to that day. I wasn't as good at this back then as I am now. But if I think back… I don't recall smelling any new scents of decay, or even the smell of that stuff they put in bodies to replace the blood and preserve it. So… I'm pretty sure she was never in it."

Nodding, Nixie says, "Color me impressed." Scott grins a little at her, but as Nixie leans back and sees Malia's still curious and slightly frustrated gaze, Nixie sighs, "So… Malia still wants to know who Kate is."

After a moment more of the silence, Lydia says, "She was Alison's aunt." Nixie nods, and adds as an afterthought, "And a total sociopath." Silence again, and then Kira rests her head on Scott's shoulder while saying, "You don't have to talk about it now if you don't want to."

To which Malia interjects, "Um, yes, he does!" Then she feels Nixie's hand gently squeeze her shoulder. Turning to look at her, Malia watches as Nixie offers her a gentle smile, but then motions with her hand for Malia to calm down just a smidge or two. It would be explained. She just needed to have a little, tiny bit more patience.

So she waited. And sure enough, Scott finally says, "Malia's right. You guys should now. You need to know." He squeezes Kira tighter in response, obviously still not happy about needing to talk about this. But they were going to anyway, regardless.

With that in mind, Stiles sighs and says, "Alright. For starters, Kate was the one who set the fire that killed most of Derek's family." Nixie nods and says, "Some of them survived. Like Cora." Scott glances back at her and adds, "And Peter." Nixie shrugs, "I was leaving him out of it. We don't like him."

Scott chuckles at her and asks, "Even if he is the one who made me a werewolf?" "Especially for that reason. Because he didn't give you a choice. And if it's at all possible, it should be a choice. Stiles being saved from a demonic fox spirit is, like, one of the only exceptions I can think of."

Stiles grins at her in the rearview mirror, and then glances at Lydia when she adds, "And he's the one who eventually caught up to Kate and killed her." Nodding, Stiles then glances at Scott and asks, "Are you sure she was never in it?"

Scott nods and says, "It actually helps explain, in even more detail, how the Calaveras already knew about Kate being supernatural now. They treat the hunter's code like law. They probably wanted to check and make sure she was dead. And when they realized she wasn't, they switched out the bodies, and took her away to try and enforce the part of the code that says when a hunter is bit, they have to take their own life before the change."

Nixie sighs and says, "Which Kate obviously didn't do." Malia pipes in, "Good for her. I wouldn't do it either." Nixie tugs on her shoulder to shove her back into her seat. Casting Malia a brief glare, Nixie says, "Seatbelt. On. Now."

Malia almost never wore the seatbelt in here. She was supernatural. She'd heal. She didn't need it. But she was realizing that, whenever Nixie ordered her to put it on… it was becoming a sign that she had stepped slightly out of bounds with what she'd said. Malia was honest. To an actual fault.

She put it on without question, and then listened as Scott replied, "We wouldn't want you to do it, Malia. But you weren't a hunter." Nixie nods, "Besides, would you kill half a dozen people to get out? Because that's what she did, according to Araya."

Silence reigns in the jeep for a moment, and then Nixie leans forward and says, "We need to figure Kate out." Scott nods, but then they look to Kira when she asks, "What do you mean? You already knew her before. And… she's a werewolf now. Right?" Scott answers, "I don't know. That's what Nixie's referring to. There's a saying; that sometimes the shape you take reflects the person you are."

Lydia immediately asks, "What kind of shape is sociopathic bitch?" And Nixie's burst of laughter eases the tension that had been growing in the vehicle. Leaning back and patting Lydia on the shoulder, Nixie says, "That was beautifully done. I approve." "Thank you. I have been trying to learn from the best. That being you and Stiles, of course." "Oh, naturally."

And then the entire vehicle jerks as a loud clank can be heard from beneath it. Swerving slightly, Stiles manages to keep them forward and the jeep upright as he pulls over to stop. Braeden spins back around immediately, and as they all pile out of the jeep, she asks them, "What happened?"

Stiles shrugs and says, "I don't know. Felt like we hit something." As he, Nixie, and Scott circle the jeep, trying to find the source of the problem, Braeden glanced at the setting sun. Turning back to the others, she says, "Scott, we need to get there before nightfall. It's too dangerous otherwise."

Huffing and running a hand through his hair, Scott then snaps his attention to Stiles, who says, "Go. Both of you, go." Nixie blinks in surprise at already being included in those who needed to leave. And then she points to Scott in agreement when he says, "Not without you guys."

Stiles gives Nixie a look at her pointing finger of agreement, and then approaches them and says, "Guys, someone needs to find Derek. We'll figure something out, we always do." And both boys turn to Nixie when she says, "We thought that before. And we lost Alison." Stiles gently cups her face in his hand and says, "That wasn't for our lack of planning. We had it figured. We were on top of it. We just… we can only be so many places at once. You, Nixie, can only be so many places at once. And right now, you need to help find Derek. Between you and Scott, if you can't find him on your own, he should just be able to find one of you. So go."

Scott sighs again, but nods and says, "Okay." Nixie stares Stiles down for a moment, but then sighs. Hugging him tight, she says, "You better damn well still be fine when I get back." "Don't worry." "Too late."

Nixie then looks over to see Scott and Kira having a moment. And Kira, in a moment of bold bravery, moves in to hug him tightly. And as Scott sinks into it, wrapping around her in kind… Nixie can't help but grin. They weren't together yet. That was going to take, at least, a bit more time.

But… it was definitely a start in the right direction. Nixie could work with that.

Scott is hopping on behind Braeden, making as much room for Nixie as he can on the back. That's when they both look up at Malia says from the jeep, "Stiles, I don't think we hit something. I think something hit us."

As Malia holds up the claw… tooth… fang… whatever the hell it is, Nixie takes in a breath and says, "Right. Because starting off our junior year with Derek missing wasn't bad enough. Now we're adding Kate Argent and freaky desert creatures to the list."

Turning to Scott, who looks ready to hop off the bike again, Nixie puts a hand on his shoulder and says, "No. You go. I'll stay." "Nixie…" "Scott, I don't like having to split up any more than you do. But Stiles is right. Someone needs to find Derek. Like, a month ago, we should've found him."

Squeezing his shoulder, Nixie says, "And between the two of us, you're the werewolf. You're the true alpha. So you have the better chance of finding him, since he's probably incapacitated and won't answer if I shout for him. So go. I'll look after these losers."

Scott can't help a slight grin, and then Nixie moves to face Braeden. For a moment they don't speak, and then Nixie nods and says, "Bring him back in one piece. And for Pete's sake, don't either of you die. I'll be pissed." Braeden nods, and then hands Scott a spare helmet before they take off down the road.

Coming back to the others at the jeep, she glances at Lydia, who asks, "So… now we're the losers?" Nixie nods affirmatively, but then adds, "But, we're the A-team of losers. That counts for something, right?" Lydia grins, and then they watch as Stiles goes about trying to fix the jeep so it will run again. Nixie does what she can to assist, but with only one set of tools, and a thinning roll of duck-tape, there isn't much she can help with. It's more a one man job at this point.

Lydia sighs after a while and says, "Maybe we should just walk." Stiles jerks his head up to look at her, "Hey! I will never abandon this jeep. You understand me? Ever." As Lydia makes to argue, Nixie puts a hand on her shoulder. Shaking her head, Nixie whispers, "Yeah, we'll discuss this another day, when we're not stranded in the desert. But no… Stiles will never abandon this jeep. With good reason, I assure you."

Which, in Nixie's opinion, the fact that the jeep had belonged to Stiles' mother, Claudia, was maybe the best of reasons to never leave the jeep behind. Ever. Lydia eased back upon hearing Nixie's words, and instead went to helping by handing Stiles whatever he might need to fix the jeep.

It wasn't lost on Nixie that, for the first week or so after Malia had officially joined the pack, Lydia had been a bit skeptical and… maybe a bit rude with her. Not that Malia noticed. Lydia would kind of just brush past her or ignore her on occasion.

And Nixie knows that's because Stiles and Malia are together now. But… Lydia's behavior only lasted about a week. Long before Nixie felt she needed to have a talk with her. Malia was… almost adorable, in the way she looked at things and handled situations. Her hatred of math, for one, was adorable in Nixie's opinion. Stiles thought she was downright scary when she grew frustrated over a math problem, but not Nixie.

In any case, Lydia is well aware that she had plenty of opportunities to be with Stiles. Since elementary school, Stiles had set his sights on her. And even now, though he was with Malia, Nixie knows that Stiles will always have his heart set on Lydia, deep down. But for now… it was nice that Stiles finally had somebody that was devoted to him, the way Lydia hadn't been.

That was another thing about Malia that Nixie loved. She was honest to a fault; that much was true. But, Malia was also loyal to a fault. At least, when it came to Stiles, from what Nixie could tell. When Nixie had mentioned this mission to Malia the first time, Malia hadn't really understood why she needed to go. Aside from being part of the pack, Malia didn't know Derek at all, and didn't see the need to go after him when, as a coyote, she probably would've never gone looking for him either.

But when Stiles arrived and told Malia that they needed to go save Derek, she offered no arguments and made no comments about how she still didn't understand why she was helping to save this man who was a stranger to her. She grabbed some of the clothes that Nixie had helped her shop for, threw them in a bag, and was ready to go, standing beside the jeep, before the rest of them were even fully packed yet.

Anyways… the bottom line was, Malia was good for Stiles. And the fact that Stiles wasn't with Lydia, was completely Lydia's own fault. And she was very aware of that, which is why she didn't hold any ill-will against the were-coyote. In fact, they were quickly becoming friends, same as with Kira.

Nixie is watching as Stiles tightens up another bolt, when Malia says from in front of them, "Work faster, Stiles." As they all turn to see her, Malia's gaze casting around the rocks and desert around them, she adds, "There is something out here with us."

Stiles worries for a brief moment about that, but then hears the sound of Nixie twirling one of her daggers in her hand. Nodding to Stiles, Nixie says, "Just keep plugging away Stiles. We'll handle this."

Coming up beside Kira and Malia, Nixie reaches back for her shoulder. In another secret compartment that she'd never used before, she know unsheathes a short sword with a flat handle. It wasn't her choice of weapon. In fact, she wouldn't even own the thing, if not for Kira. But the fox wielded a sword far better than any other weapon that Nixie had tried to show her how to use. Using the katana was instinctual to her.

Nixie hands over the short sword to Kira for her use. It wasn't as long as an actual sword… but it felt better in Kira's hands then Nixie's daggers did. Glancing over at Malia, Nixie asks, "You good?" "I have claws." "Noted. And whatever comes this way had better damn well be terrified." Kira looks to Nixie and asks, "Why? Not that I doubt you can beat them… but why so confident?"

And Lydia, from back at the jeep, bursts into laughter when Nixie says, "Because we have a banshee and she's not freaking out yet about hearing voices that are foretelling our imminent demise. When she starts freaking out, I'll consider doubting our victory. Until then… we're golden. This'll be a piece of cake. And with any luck, we'll make it home for a late dinner."

Glancing back at Lydia who is laughing, and at Stiles who is shaking his head with an amused grin, Nixie asks, "And what do you two think is so damn funny? I'm serious."

* * *

As daylight finally gives way to night, Nixie grows slightly antsier. They all do, considering they were in the middle of nowhere and Scott had yet to return to them. Kira eventually moves to draw out her own sword, which is in the back of the jeep. Nixie's were great in a pinch, but since they had a little more time to prepare, it was better to get her own.

While Lydia and Stiles bicker over how the jeep still wasn't fixed, Nixie nudges Malia on her right and asks, "Anything?" Malia glances down at her and says, "I thought you had enhanced senses of your own." "No Malia. That's strictly my hearing. My eyes are normal, far as I know. So… you see anything with your pretty blues?"

Malia grins and flashes her blue eyes over the normal brown color. Then she sighs and says, "No. Even for me, it's too hard to see. We should've brought another flashlight." Nixie nods, and as Kira joins them in front of the jeep, Nixie says to her, "Add that to the list of things we need to remember next time we make one of these, 'impromptu rescue missions'. Because weapons… those I got. In abundance. If I weren't in a supernatural wolf pack, it would be scary how many weapons I have on my person at any given point in time. But an extra flashlight? Now that, I did manage to forget."

Kira smiles gently, and then glances back at the jeep's headlights, and then down at her sword. Stepping away, she holds her sword to one of the headlights, letting the ray of light bounce off of her sword and reflect farther and deeper into the surrounding area. Grinning, Nixie says, "Sweet. Now I don't have to worry about using my phone and killing the battery."

As Malia's eyes scan the area with new afforded clarity, she spots a shift of movement. Which, you know, Malia's a were-coyote, so it makes complete sense for her eyes to pick up on it. What Nixie finds strange is that she sees the flash of movement as well. Quick and small and to most… probably insignificant. But somehow she knew, just like Malia, that whatever was moving out there, was definitely not their friend. Not even close.

And given the distance and the fact that she was human… she shouldn't have been able to see it quite that well. Not without a sniper scope or something. But Nixie will work that out later. Much later.

Because right now, Malia snarls in anger and surges forward, racing after whatever creature was waiting for them out there. Kira shouts, "Malia! Wait!" And then Stiles, for all his talk of never abandoning his jeep, snaps his head up to watch as Malia runs off, and then begins trying to scramble down from the hood to go after her. "Malia! Malia, stop!"

Lydia reaches out to grab him, because there's no point in him leaving too. Stiles wouldn't catch Malia anyway if she was chasing down a beast. And Lydia is not about to be left here by herself, with nothing but an abandoned jeep to keep company.

She relaxes though, and Stiles stops scrambling, when Nixie says, "Hey! Everybody chill!" She snags Kira by the back of her jacket before she can run off. Hauling her back to the jeep, Nixie points to Lydia and Stiles, and then says, "You, watch them. Hawk eyes on them at all times. Understand?" Kira nods, and then Nixie turns to Stiles and says, "Get it fixed. Do it now. I will get her."

And then to Lydia, Nixie grins slightly before saying, "Hold the flashlight still, Lydia. We need to get out of here. And we need to do it now."

And then she sprints in the direction that Malia had gone off in.

Weaving her way through the rocks silently, the way Chris and Alison had trained her to walk through the woods as well, Nixie keeps her daggers down in her hands, prepared for an attack at any moment. Her ears are attuned to every little sound, categorizing it and then putting it away if it's not helpful. Most of what she hears are the tiny desert animals that live among these rocks.

Then she hears hurried steps, and Nixie steps aside into a crevice between two rocks to hide. Her plan had been to surprise the oncoming assailant, and then after taking him out, find Malia in whatever place she'd managed to run to.

But after a second, when no one runs past her position, Nixie hears Malia's voice whisper, "Nix?" Sighing and stepping out, she asks, "Yeah?" Malia snaps around to look at her, and then sighs in relief before saying, "I thought I smelled you." "Yeah, you did. Anyways, what did you find?" Malia shakes her head, a mixture of wonder and worry in her eyes, before she says, "I don't know. But it's big and fast. And it cuts deep."

Nixie frowns at that and looks over to see Malia's cut side. She was a werewolf and she'd heal. But that didn't mean Nixie liked it any more than it if had happened to her or Stiles or Lydia. Twirling a dagger now, Nixie asks, "Which way did he go? I'll kick his ass." "Nixie, I just said…" "He's big and fast. Yeah, I got that. I'm tiny and fast. Much more lethal, I assure you. So where is he?"

Malia smiles a little at Nixie's clearly pissed off state. This was the first time she'd been hurt as part of the pack, and as one of Nixie's people. So this was also the first time that Malia felt the full extent of the overprotective streak that made up a majority of Nixie's character. And it was… touching, to say the least. Malia could tell from the look in her eyes that Nixie was full prepared, and more than willing, to kill whatever creature had done this to her.

The stranger, but no less comforting part of that, was that Malia almost believed that Nixie, in all her humanness, would still actually fare better against the beast than she had herself.

And Malia was about to try and lead the way after the creature, as Nixie had requested, when they both tilt their heads at the sound of the jeep finally cranking in the distance. Sighing in relief, Nixie says, "Alright. To the jeep."

As they sprint back, Nixie watches as Stiles slumps in relief from where he'd been standing, anxiously waiting for them to reappear. Kira and Lydia were waiting by the doors, ready to get in. As Nixie and Malia get closer, Nixie asks her, "You got Scott's scent?" "Yeah." "Good. Take shotgun and tell Stiles were to go."

Stopping when they reach Stiles, who looks about to point at Malia as he declares something, Malia then turns to Nixie and asks, "We brought a shotgun?" Nixie grins at her and says, "It means take the front passenger seat. Sit next to Stiles, tell him where to go." Then she looks at Stiles and says, "Get in the jeep. Talk while you drive. Go. Now!"

So they all quickly pile in, and after Malia has given Stiles a direction to start in, he turns to her and says, "Okay. You? You please, don't ever do that again!" Malia turns to him in confusion and asks, "Do what?" Sighing, running a weary hand over his face, Stiles says, "I… I thought you just took off. I thought you were running."

Still utterly confused, Malia says, "I was running. And so was Nixie. We were both running. Why aren't you yelling at her?" Stiles glances at her and sighs again before saying, "Because I am overly aware that Nixie will always come back to me. It's a given. But you? I thought… I mean, I thought you were leaving."

Malia takes a moment to ponder that. Then, remaining true to her 'honest to a fault' character, she turns to him again and says unashamed, "I wouldn't leave without you." Stiles glances at her in surprise and asks, "Really?" Nodding, as though this were not some amazing declaration, but was a simple fact of life, Malia then adds, "Yeah, I would never leave without you."

Nixie has to bite her lip to keep from laughing at the stunned look at Stiles' face. Then she leans forward, squeezes Malia's shoulder in approval, and says, "I know I've said it before. But you and me? We're going to be great friends. I love this attitude. Perhaps that should be our pack motto at some point in the future."

Malia smiles back at her, but then concedes, "But… them I would leave." Lydia tilts her head in mock offense, but nods to Stiles in appeasement when he explains, "Uh, yeah, it's progress. She wouldn't leave Nixie. That's a start." Lydia grins and says, "Nobody with even just half a brain would leave Nixie behind."

Nixie rolls her eyes and says, "They would if they hated sarcastic comments that fly around at least fifty percent of the day. Somebody like that probably would've killed me by now." Kira grins and says, "That's why you're stuck with us."

And they all laugh when Nixie says, "Stuck with? I'll have you know, little Miss Fox, that I hand-picked all of you myself. I'm not stuck with anything. In fact, if anyone is stuck with anybody around here, it's you people, who are all stuck with me. So yeah. Deal with it."

Lydia then glances to Malia's side, still an open wound at the moment. Tilting her head, Lydia says, "That doesn't look so good." Malia glances at it as well, and then says, "It's okay." Kira looks at it too and then says concernedly, "Are you sure? It looks deep." Malia just nods, "Yeah, I can feel it healing. It wasn't at first."

Stiles looks to her and asks, "So what happened to kick start it?" "Oh. Nixie offered to go after the thing and kill it for what it did to me. Made me feel better." Stiles grins at Nixie in the back, who simply holds up her hands and says, "See? Offering up death threats can have positive side-effects. Someone should tell Scott that when we see him again. Because this request of his, that I not threaten to kill people all the time, is seriously hard sometimes."

Lydia grins over at her again, but then asks, "So… neither of you saw anything?" Nixie shakes her head and says, "Unfortunately, I never actually caught up to the damn thing. Malia?" Sighing, Malia says, "Barely. It had a strong scent though." Stiles glances at her and asks, "Like what?" "Like death."

There's a pause of silence, and then Nixie says, "Drive faster, Stiles." And he floors it without question. They needed to get to Scott. They needed to get to him now.

* * *

Malia was beginning to have a little trouble trailing Scott's scent. The wind was blowing stronger the closer they got, and it was becoming increasingly difficult to track.

That's when they heard a massive roar shoot up through the air, and Nixie snaps her head around in the direction of that sound before saying, "Go. Follow that. Stiles, hurry!" He floors it even harder, honestly quite uncomfortable with the speed he's going. But, he's more worried that Nixie, at this point, would slap him in the back of the head if he slowed down, even for the turns.

When they finally make it through the city, which Malia says smells like death too, Stiles finally stops in front of what must've once been "the Church". As Braeden and Scott make their way out, carrying a limp and weary form between them, they all scramble out of the jeep to try and help them.

But upon seeing the exact look of the person Scott was helping carry out… they all freeze on the spot. Because seriously? What the actual hell?

Malia, who had never seen Derek before, asks, "Is that him? Is that Derek?" Stiles makes a very confused sound in the back of his throat, and then sighs before saying, "Maybe. Sort of. Nix?" Nixie is still staring at the young man who is hanging from Scott and Braeden's shoulders. His eyes dart around worriedly, and in fright.

At Stiles question, she looks to see what he wants. He gestures to Derek and asks, "You've seen pictures of him younger. Is that…" Nixie nods and says, "It's Derek. I just… I don't understand how." Scott nods and says, "Join the club."

Derek, a considerably younger Derek, had been shaking and darting his eyes around this entire time. Despite all the time he must've spent in the ground, he was still very tired and exhausted. But he was also terrified of closing his eyes again right now.

Then he heard her voice. And as he took a deep breath in while looking in Nixie's direction, Derek felt as if a weight suddenly lifted from his shoulders. Nothing around him made sense. Everything was foreign and different and… he couldn't understand anything.

But her. This short woman in front of him. She was familiar. Even if Derek couldn't remember ever seeing her before, the smell that exuded from her was unmistakable. Safety, security… a sense of wholeness that had seemed impossible to grasp a moment ago.

Home. That's what she smelt like. She smelled like the safety and security and warmth of home.

Scott feels him relax, and watches as Derek's darting eyes suddenly focus with precision on Nixie. Nixie, for her part, was looking around them now, trying to discern if a new threat was on the way already.

Derek squirms a bit, struggling to pull himself away from Scott and Braeden. But he could barely hold himself up, and as he left their helpful grips, he fell to his knees wearily. Scott watched him struggle for a moment, but then put a hand on his shoulder and said, "Patience."

Then Scott looked up and said, "Nix." She snapped her gaze to them, asking, "Yeah?" "Hold him." Nixie tilts her head slightly, but comes over anyway. Bending down to Derek's level, she wastes no time with hesitation or with wondering if he even wanted to be held. She wrapped her arms around him and pulled him in tight, a hand cradling the back of his head while the other gently rubbed some circles into his upper back.

Derek relaxed even further around her, soaking in the comfort she provided. Every care he had was suddenly pushed to the back of his mind for a while, and he could only focus on the feeling of safety she provided.

Scott feels it all in him, can smell his emotions shifting and calming around him. Then he looks to Braeden and asks, "I'm sorry, but can you help us get home?" Braeden watches the scene unfolding before her as well, and then nods to Scott and says, "Sure."

He nods his appreciation, and then Scott looks to Kira and says, "Come on. We'll squeeze on the back with Braeden. Let's get Derek in the jeep and get him the hell out of here." Derek wraps a weak arm around Nixie, as though afraid he were going to be forced to let her go. But he relaxes again when Nixie says gently, "Don't worry Derek. We're gonna take care of you now. It's all gonna be okay."

It's as they're driving home though, Derek sleeping with his head in Nixie's lap, and a calm silence enveloping everyone in the jeep.

That's when Stiles sighs and nods his head in agreement, when Nixie huffs in annoyance before she mutters quietly, "Son of a bitch."

* * *

And that is Chapter 1! In the original, I didn't include a chapter for their hunt in the desert for Derek. So... tell me what you think. Hope you're enjoying it so far. Chapter 2 will follow shortly. :)


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: "I do not own Teen Wolf. The show, the characters, and any quotes from the show belong to Jeff Davis and his amazing team of writers. I only own Nixie, and anything I make her do or say."

* * *

Chapter 2: Episode 4x2

"Alright, let's get him inside."

After having dropped Kira and Malia off at their homes, Scott had joined Nixie, Lydia, and Stiles in the jeep. And the animal clinic was the only safe place to take Derek right now, and Deaton was the only one they could trust to possibly look at him from a doctor's perspective.

Well, a doctor's perspective with plenty of knowledge about the supernatural.

As Stiles opens the door and helps Lydia out first, Scott takes his place at the door so he can help Nixie with Derek.

She still has Derek's head in her lap. And while no one, including Derek, has any idea what is going on… Derek still looks peaceful with Nixie's fingers running through his hair gently. And judging from Nixie's ever watchful gaze, Scott would bet that her eyes hadn't left him since they'd started the trip back from Mexico.

Coming in further, putting a gentle hand on her exceptionally cold shoulder, Scott says, "Hey. We're gonna fix this. We'll help him." Nixie nods, but then asks, "What if we can't though? I mean… I know we're going to help him and keep him safe. But… look at him. He looks our age now. Maybe even younger. How the hell are we going to age him back?"

Scott tilts his head at her and then asks, "Are you telling me you're giving up?" Nixie snaps her eyes to him and says, "Of course not. What kind of stupid question is that? But…" Sighing, running one hand through her own hair, she says, "I've been wracking my brain all the way back. And for the life of me, I can't even begin to imagine how Kate did this to him… much less how we're going to reverse it. I mean… I know we're going to try. We always try. But what if he's stuck like this? What if…"

Scott moves in closer and says, "Then we help him adjust to the new life he's going to have to live. We show him that we're his friends. We show him that you are his friend." Grinning a little, Scott adds, "Whether he likes it or not. Because you can't be gotten rid of that easily. Just because he's younger, it doesn't mean he's any less ours."

Nixie finally smiles and says, "Damn. And I thought I was the one who was supposed to know what to say." Scott shrugs and says, "I'd say this is your one and only slip in seventeen years. It was bound to happen eventually. And I am the alpha. Bout time I got to cheer you up for a change."

She laughs finally, and then helps him ease Derek out of the jeep.

Deaton has cleared off one of the tables in preparation for their arrival, and they all work to lower Derek gently onto it. Nixie goes back to cradling his head while Deaton just stares down at the younger version of Derek. And then, all he can think of to say is, "Wow."

Stiles looks up at him and asks, "Wow? Wow as in, 'I've seen this before and I know exactly what to do' kind of wow? Cause that's the kind of 'wow' we were hoping for." Deaton gives him a look and says, "I think you might be overestimating my abilities." Then he turns to Nixie when she says, "Hoping for. Not expecting Doc. Just hoping for." Deaton nods in understanding, and then tries to go about checking on Derek.

Lydia takes one of his hands in hers, and then comments, "He's cold. Really cold." Nixie immediately drops her hands and says, "That might be my fault. I haven't stopped touching him since we found him." Deaton wonders briefly at why Nixie should think it was her fault, but when none of the others question it, he doesn't bring it up. He does make a note that, regardless of what else may begin happening soon, he would make time to look into some of the… side-effects that seemed to come from being around Nixie. And what effects happened to her, herself, given certain situations.

Scott watches as Nixie clenches her hands into fists at her sides. Then he looks up at Deaton and asks, "Do you think this is permanent? That's what Nixie's worried about the most." Deaton nods again in his understanding, but as he shines a light in Derek's eyes as he holds them open, he sighs and says, "And I wish I could offer you some kind of answer in that respect. But I'm not even sure a medical diagnosis will even be adequate. This… this is well beyond my experience."

Sighing, Nixie runs a hand through her hair and asks, "Great. So what do we do with him?" Deaton sighs and says, "Until he wakes up… probably not much. It'll probably be best to keep him here. Leave him with me. He'll be safe here." Stiles nods and says, "You mean from Kate." Deaton nods and says, "If she's alive, and she is what you say she is, she won't be able to walk past that gate."

Lydia nods, but as she helps wrap Derek back up in the blanket, she asks, "Why would she want to do this to him?" Deaton shrugs, "Knowing Kate, it's probably for a reason that won't be any good for anyone but her." Sighing, Nixie adds, "And by consequence, bad for everyone else."

Stiles nods in agreement, and then jumps and flinches as Derek moans on the table. Turning his head side to side, he starts mumbling under his breath, eyes darting back and forth behind his eyelids, as though lost in a nightmare. Lydia watches for a moment, and then looks up and says, "Nixie, hold him again."

Nixie gives her a look and says, "You said he was cold. I…" "Nixie, just do it." "But…" And then they all freeze when Derek mumbles louder, "Nix… Nix… where… where's…"

Clenching her hands one more time, Nixie then sighs and puts her hands back on the sides of his head. Running through his hair gently, she bends down and says softly, "I'm right here Derek. Hush now, it's okay. I have you."

He relaxes again, entire body calming at her touch. Scott then meets Nixie's gaze, and he sighs before saying, "Well… you're not leaving now." "Nope." He pulls up a chair from nearby and says, "Sit. Rest." She doesn't argue with that, and then the others step out of the room, leaving her with Derek.

Outside in the main office, Deaton immediately asks, "Did he recognize Nixie when you found him?" Stiles shakes his head and says, "No. In fact, I don't think he knows her full name is Nixie. Scott just called her Nix when he got her to hold Derek earlier, so that's what he knows she can be called. Beyond that though, he doesn't know her." Deaton raises an eyebrow and says, "He certainly seems to want her close though. Are you sure…"

Lydia nods and says, "He just wants her comfort. That's what Nixie does. She gives comfort to her friends. Literally, she pushes the stress away, somehow. She does it for all of us." Deaton nods, but adds, "But as you just stated, he doesn't know her. Derek doesn't know he's one of her friends, or pack mates. So why…" Stiles sighs and says, "Look, it's just Nixie…" But Deaton shakes his head and says, "Look, I understand that all of you who know her, accept this, and embrace it. But those who have just met her… it takes time to grow accustomed to it. So if Derek doesn't know her, then how…"

"It's her scent." They all look up at Scott, who motions for them to step further way from the office where Nixie is sitting. Sighing, he says, "She… Nixie doesn't just provide comfort. She doesn't just push away all your stress and anxiety with a hug. She… her scent, the natural aroma that's around her… it's comforting." Deaton asks, "And you are just mentioning this?" "It's not new! She's always been that way. From the first moment I became a wolf and my senses were heightened, she's smelled like that to me. And to every other supernatural that has met her." "Every one of them?"

Scott ponders that a moment, and then frowns and says, "Well… no, I guess not. Definitely not Peter. And certainly not Kate if they ever meet. Probably not the alpha pack either." Deaton nods and says thoughtfully, "So… to the people she's claimed as her own… she smells like comfort?"

Scott nods a little, but then sighs and says, "It's more than that though. It's… it's home. That's when it smells like. Safety, security… home. A warm and welcoming place to come and stay, in spite of how naturally cold she might be physically."

They all remain quiet for a moment, pondering that. Then Deaton looks around at all of them and says, "Look, you guys should go home. Derek doesn't look to be in any danger, and with Nixie staying, I'm sure we can all agree, he's in good hands. The rest of you should get some sleep while you can. It is, after all, a school night. And you do need to take care of your own lives again."

Scott doesn't deny that, but says, "Someone else should stay though. Give Nixie a break when she needs it." Lydia nods and says, "I'll stay. My grades are fine and will stay that way, even with the starting new semester. Mrs. Wallace will understand if I miss my first day. I'll make sure Nixie gets to school though. She's missed more than I have and she should probably save those instances for emergencies."

Stiles chuckles and says, "She always thinks it's an emergency when it comes to us." "Exactly." Stiles gives her a look and says, "Even with Nixie here, I'm not okay with this. You…" Lydia gives him a look and says, "Guys… go. We'll be fine. Nixie is here." "Yeah, but I…" But Scott nods and says, "Text us if anything changes." "If Nixie doesn't text you first, I will get right on it."

Grinning, Scott then tugs an arguing Stiles back out the door with him. As Lydia moves to head back into the backroom, she pauses when Deaton asks, "Lydia… did Scott ever mention Nixie's scent to anyone else?" Lydia shakes her head, but says, "I'm not surprised though. Nixie's habit for making us all feel safe and secure has… well, it's always something that we've all been able to feel. It's in the looks she gives us, the way she tries so hard to protect us and be there for us. She doesn't even have to be in the same room. We just… we feel it."

Shrugging, Lydia adds, "It's just… it's Nixie. It's just who she naturally is."

And as Lydia walks away, Deaton rubs his chin thoughtfully and says, "Who she naturally is… or _what_ she naturally is."

* * *

In her Advanced Chemistry class, Nixie's leg won't stop bouncing from beneath her desk. Like Lydia, she didn't have a full load this year. And next year would be even lighter.

But hell would freeze over before Nixie left for college without her friends.

And like Lydia, her grades were impeccable. They were impeccable before she did extra credit work, and with that on top of it… they were practically stellar.

Which is why she finds it so annoying that she should need to be here, sitting in class, filling out a worksheet, when Derek is at the clinic and not awake yet. Lydia wasn't here. Granted, Lydia's grades were even more spectacular and her attendance record was far better than Nixie's… but she's still agitated with having to be here, nonetheless.

And, she concedes, it probably wasn't helping her mood that she'd gotten very little sleep last night. Part of that was Derek's fault. She'd spend about an hour or so away from him, leaning back in her chair, maybe about to doze off. Then he'd start mumbling and panicking again, until Nixie made her presence known to him again.

The other part was her own inability to actually fall asleep while he was like this. The few times she'd almost dozed off were from sheer exhaustion. She shoved that away each time he began to panic again.

Lydia tried to get her to rest some… but knew it was futile. Instead she just settled for making her some coffee in the morning before sending her to school. It wasn't the same as Stiles' coffee… but it would hopefully keep her awake during class.

Wasn't doing much for her headache though, which, Nixie admits, is probably coming on because she hasn't eaten anything since the previous morning. Fortunately, Lydia remained concerned only on Nixie's ability to stay awake during class. So Nixie didn't have to inform her about the migraine she was getting. They had enough problems.

There's still ten minutes left in class, ten minutes that Nixie didn't feel she should have to be in here. She was done, finished… she should be gone already. Back at the clinic, where she could keep an eye on Derek.

That's when her phone goes off, and as she pulls it out, she reads Lydia's text, _"Get back here now! Derek's gone!"_ Sighing, Nixie mutters, "Shit." Then she begins packing up her stuff to leave. If Mrs. Blanchard wanted her to remain in class badly enough, she'd have to cuff Nixie to the desk.

But… to try and make it a little bit easier on herself, Nixie rises up from her desk and puts a hand on her stomach, making herself look like she's in pain. And as she walks towards the front of the room, Mrs. Blanchard gives her a concerned look.

Hooking her jacket over her bag at the moment, Nixie hands her worksheet into the tray on the desk, and then says, "Mrs. Blanchard, I'm not feeling well this morning. If it's alright, can I just head out now? I'm done with all my work, I promise. I think I should see a nurse, or go to the bathroom, or… something." For added affect, the grips her stomach again, and Mrs. Blanchard nods immediately and says, "Of course. Feel better sweetie."

Nodding, Nixie heads out the door and sighs. Her hair, which had gotten soaked in the rain last night, had been down since then. Lydia had insisted, or else Nixie would've ended up with a very bad bump in her hair, which Lydia wouldn't allow on her watch. But now, Nixie throws it up into a ponytail, some of the shorter strands still falling out to frame her face. Then slips her jacket on one arm, switching her bag over after that so she can pull her jacket onto the other arm as well.

When she reaches the steps outside and hurries down, she finds Scott and Stiles already there, heading out too. Stiles glances back at her, and then asks, "Out of curiosity, did Lydia call your professor too?" Nixie raises an eyebrow at the question and says, "Why on earth would Lydia call my professor?" "Ken kept telling us to turn our phones off! So Lydia called him to get the message to Scott!" Nixie rolls her eyes, and then says, "Yeah, well, no teacher in their right mind would ever tell me to turn my phone off." "Jordan Blake did." "Exactly."

Stiles finally laughs, and then asks, "Where's your bike?" "You drove me here this morning. Remember, Stiles?" "Oh, right. Sorry. I think I'm just getting worried." "Why?" "Well, you haven't driven it around much. Not for the whole summer." "I'm saving on gas money. Besides, I need my bike to be primed and ready for all instances in which I might need to come and find you people. Can't go wasting all her energy just to go to the grocery store. That's just stupid."

Scott grins and says, "Guys, come on. Lydia sounded urgent on the phone." "Right."

And when they reach the clinic, urgent doesn't even seem to cover it. Though Lydia is handling it well, she still looks a bit shaken as she tries to help Deaton bandage his bleeding forearm.

Nixie stares for a moment, and then drops her bag in a nearby chair and says, "Right. So, I'm gonna take over there. Deaton… please start explaining."

Lydia moves aside so Nixie can work while Deaton explains that, after waking up, Derek had taken off out of the clinic. Nodding his appreciation to Nixie's fine work, Deaton then adds, "I don't think he's just younger in body. I think he's younger in his mind too." Lydia nods and says, "Which would explain why, even after having a night to come back to his senses, he still doesn't recognize any of us." Deaton nods and adds again, "And he looked like he was terrified."

Stiles sighs and asks, "Okay. So if you're a teenage werewolf and you're scared… where do you go?" Sighing, Scott says, "A wolf goes back to its den. But Derek lives in a loft." Nixie ponders that a moment, and then adds, "But he's younger in his mind too. Right? So… this version of Derek doesn't know anything about the loft." Stiles nods and says, "Right. So… where would teenage Derek go?"

Lydia pipes in, "The Hale house?" Nixie points and says, "Yes. Home. That's where he'd go. Has to be." Deaton nods in agreement and says, "If he's younger in his mind, then he probably wouldn't remember the fire. It wouldn't have happened yet."

And at that, Nixie huffs and pinches the bridge of her nose. When she looks up and sees Scott's concerned gaze, Nixie says, "The Hale house was a dilapidating building already. It's been torn down since then. Condemned. And if Derek gets there and sees that… just imagine what's gonna start rolling through his already incredibly baffled mind."

Stiles and Scott look at each other over her head, and then nod and say, "We need to find him." But Lydia says, "Wait, hold on. Nixie's right. So let's say you find him and catch up with him. What if he's already seen it? Chances are he's already been there, at least. So what are you going to tell him? That his whole family is dead?"

Scott runs a hand through his hair and says, "I guess I'm gonna have to." Lydia gives him a look and says, "Okay, good luck with that. He's definitely not going to take it well." Stiles nods and says, "She's probably right. Maybe you shouldn't. You know… at least until we figure out how to get him back to normal."

Sighing, Scott looks to Nixie and asks, "What do you think?" She looks up at him, and then sighs and says, "I… don't think we should lie to him. Lying never helps. If anything, it just makes it worse." Then she looks to Lydia and adds, "But I think Lydia is right. His mind is in a tailspin as it is. Telling him that basically his entire family is dead… it won't end well."

Stiles then lifts his hand and says, "Here's a thought. I'll do it. I have no problem lying to him."

As expected, he was swiftly smacked upside the head. Nixie then says, "On a side note, besides how much I don't agree with that, Derek probably won't listen to you. You're human. He's a werewolf. The person who has the most hope of communicating with him, is Scott. We just… we have to find a middle ground. A way to make him wait for information on what happened to his family. We find that, and we won't have to lie, or tell him the truth just yet."

Scott and Stiles both nod, and then Stiles asks, "So what's the middle ground?" Nixie shrugs and says, "Hell if I know. But I'll work on that while we go find him. Because if he hasn't already seen the house, we need to try and prevent him from seeing it. And if he has already seen the house… well, then he's going to need us to find him that much more. So let's go."

* * *

Derek was sitting in the middle of what had once been his old home. Nothing made sense anymore. Nothing.

That's when the police cruiser came pulling up on the scene. Haigh's came out of the driver's seat, while Jordan stepped out on the passenger side. As of late, the Sheriff had made Haigh, Jordan's partner for going out in the field. And while Jordan wasn't exactly fond of the man, he was beginning to understand why. Haigh wasn't exactly a gentle sort of fellow. In fact, his more brutal instincts were downright annoying, and continuously getting on Jordan's nerves. But, that was a part of why he was Haigh's partner. Jordan was the superior of the two. He was the sheriff's deputy, the second in command at the station.

Therefore, basically, Jordan had a great amount of influence, and could get Haigh's fired if he didn't eventually listen to what Jordan said. He could rein Haigh in, so to speak. So while he didn't like it… he accepted it. For now, anyway.

As they walk past the gate around the property, Jordan calls out, "Excuse me, young man?" Haigh laughs and asks, "You're calling him, young man?" "Shut up, Haigh." Giving the man an annoyed look, Jordan then turns back to the young man and says, "Sorry, but you can't be here."

Then Haigh scoffs and says, "Hey dumbass. You ever hear of 'no trespassing'?" Derek turns his head slightly and says, "This is my house." Haigh rolls his eyes and says, "Nobody's been here for years, kid. Now get the hell out of here." Jordan snaps his eyes to the man and says, "Haigh…" Haigh looks over at Jordan, annoyance of his own apparent on his face. But Jordan stands his ground and says, "Maybe try a slightly gentler touch."

Bending down to Derek, looking at his face, Jordan can tell that the kid really does think it's his house. He looks so lost and confused. So hopeless. Coming closer, Jordan asks, "Are you alright? We can help you, if something's wrong." Derek looks around at the rubble around him and asks, "What happened to my house? Where's my family? Where's my mother?!" Jordan shakes his head and says, "I'm not sure. But if you let me take you down to the station, I'm sure we can figure this out. We have resources there that can help us look into these types of things? What do you say? Sound good?"

Derek turns to face him again, and is about to nod, when Haigh says, "Alright, enough of this. Dumbass, you're getting out of here. Now." But when he reaches down and grabs Derek by the arm, Derek turns on him immediately. He almost growls as he twists out of Haigh's hold and grabs his arm instead, squeezing hard with his supernatural grip and taking Haigh's down to one knee in the process.

Jordan jumps up and says, "Hey, hold on! Just take it easy." Derek turns back to him, calming himself slightly. This man was trying to help him, unlike the other one.

And then Jordan's eyes widen and he says, "Haigh, don't!" But Haigh already has his tazer out, and jams it into Derek's side, causing him to cry out in pain. Jordan jumps forward and says, "Haigh, stand down!" But Haigh hits Derek again, and then again. And he would've hit him a fourth time… except Jordan grabbed his wrist and twisted it painfully behind his back. "Owe! Parrish, what the…" "If you hit him again, you may actually kill him. And I will, I swear, write you up on charges of manslaughter."

Haigh pauses at that, and begrudgingly steps back when Jordan shoves him away. Glaring at the man, Jordan says, "Just wait in the damn truck." Haigh mumbles some unheard obscenities beneath his breath as he walks away. Then Jordan bends down to Derek, on the ground. Gently putting a hand on his shoulder, the other taking Derek's hand in his own, Jordan says, "I'm sorry about that. Haigh isn't big on patience."

Derek whimpers a little before saying, "I don't… I don't understand. I don't understand anything. Where did it all go? Who…" Jordan nods and says, "I don't know. But, if you come with me, I promise to try and help you figure it out. And I won't let Haigh touch you again. I promise that too. Okay?"

Derek finally nods, and lets Jordan escort him back to the truck. And upon Haigh's insistence that the kid looks like he might try and pull something, Jordan reluctantly puts cuffs on Derek as well, though he doesn't tighten them nearly as much as he's probably supposed to.

After that, it's a long, silent trip back to the station. Jordan is going to have to have a word with Noah about this. Haigh was getting out of hand.

* * *

As another deputy walks in the doorway, Derek finally lifts his head a little bit. He'd been staring down at his cuffed hands, dismal as ever, when he finally caught a whiff of the scent. The scent from the girl who had held him out in the desert. All of those people had smelt vaguely familiar. It was the way pack smelled to each other, like family even if you weren't blood related. So he knew they were pack, even if he didn't know who they were or remember them.

But this was different. She smelt like home. From the first moment he'd seen her, that's what her scent reminded him of. Home.

Turning his head, he tries to see outside the door, to see if she's there. Nix, he remembers being her name. But, though she was near, she apparently wasn't right outside yet, or coming in. He hopes she does soon though. Nothing made sense… nothing at all. But she would at least make him feel like he still had a solid place to land when his mind could finally find a place to settle.

Derek then looks up as the nicer deputy, who he now knows is named Parrish, approaches him. Bending down to Derek's height, he glances back at Haigh disapprovingly, and then turns back to Derek. Grinning a little, Jordan says, "The other deputy thinks I'm an idiot for even asking. But… I have a feeling that if I take these cuffs off, you're going to be okay? And then, you can help us figure out what happened to your family, so we can go ahead and get you out of here and back home, where you belong. Am I right?"

After a moment, Derek nods, and Jordan removes the handcuffs immediately. Patting Derek's knee, he starts to stand, but pauses when Derek says, "The other deputy is the idiot." Grinning, Jordan says, "I can't argue with that." And Derek actually manages a smile at that, and then Jordan turns as Haigh says, "Parrish, get over here." He frowns at Haigh, who holds his hands up in a surrendering gesture, before saying, "I have an actual problem. I've run this kid's prints eight times. This is all that comes up. Every time."

Looking at the computer screen, Jordan frowns and asks, "Derek Hale?" Who, if he's remembering correctly, was one of the two people that Nixie had been in to see while they were being held on murder charges last year. The two people that Nixie said were harmless as far as she went. Two people that Nixie had scared Cordova over, so she could talk to them whenever she wanted. A Chris Argent, and then a Derek Hale.

Which made no sense, because Jordan remembers both men. He'd gotten close enough, the day that Nixie had brought them breakfast. He remembers both their faces quite clearly. And the young man before them, could not physically be Derek Hale. So what the hell was going on?

Noah then finally enters the room, and upon seeing the picture on the screen, he asks, "Did you say Hale?" Jordan nods and gestures to the computer, and then to the kid sitting in the chair outside his office. Noah does a double-take between the photo and the kid. He gets right up to the younger version of Derek, scrutinizing him with his eyes. He can't make sense of it. Not one bit of sense.

As he's back at the computer, looking over the photo again, that's when Stiles, Scott, and Nixie barge into the room. And Jordan doesn't miss how Derek's eyes snap up and follow Nixie as she walks into the room. And when it becomes apparent that she's walking up to him, Derek stands to his feet and says, "N… Nix?"

She nods and then wraps her arms around his waist, holding him tightly. And Derek, for his part, clings to her in return and basks in her scent. Home. It didn't matter right then, that he couldn't explain what had happened to his house or where his family was. Nix had him, and she smelt safe. Like home.

Noah watches her for a moment, and then looks to the other boys before sighing and saying to Haigh and Jordan, "I'll handle this." Then he ushers Stiles and Scott into the office. Gently patting Nixie's shoulder, he says, "I need to borrow you."

Derek squeezes her tighter for a moment, but then reluctantly let's go when she leans back. She bumps up his chin and says, "Wait here. I'm not going anywhere without you." Then she notes the burn marks that are now on his clothes, and she frowns before following Noah into the office.

Leaning against his desk, Noah says to them, "Now, I want you guys to be honest with me. Completely, and totally, honest." They all nod, and Nixie fully believes she's prepared for any question he might have.

She was not quite prepared for him to ask, "Have you been time traveling? Because if time traveling is real, then you know what? I'm done. I'm out. You're going to be driving me to Eichen House!"

Stiles stares at his dad in disbelief, and then turns to Nixie, whose burst of laughter was as shocking as it was relieving. Nudging her shoulder, Stiles asks, "What the hell is so funny?" "Stiles, you're not serious. You don't think it's funny?! Your dad thinks we found an old DeLorean, turned it into a time machine, and then got Kira to zap it with 1.21 gigawatts of electricity so we could travel back in time for the younger Derek."

Stiles stares at her for a moment, and then rolls his eyes and says, "Are you really referring to a movie right now?" "No. I'm referring to the fact that, on top of everything else we've seen, I can't believe we haven't attempted time travel yet. We have a thunder fox at our disposal, people. We should consider giving this a shot. But, you know, after we get Derek back to being Derek."

Noah looks between all three and asks, "So… no time travel?" Scott shakes his head and says, "We found him like that." Standing up, still not able to believe this, Noah asks, "Where!? Swimming in the Fountain of Youth!?" Nixie lifts a finger and says, "Also something we should consider looking into."

Stiles gives her a look, and then says to his dad, "No. We found him buried in a tomb of wolfsbane." And Nixie adds, "In an Aztec temple in Mexico." Stiles nods and adds, "Underneath a church in the middle of this town…" And Nixie finishes, "That was destroyed by an earthquake."

Noah looks between all three of them again and then exclaims, "You told me you were camping!" Stiles nods and says, "And that was true! We were." Nixie nods too, but adds, "We just left out that we were camping in Mexico."

While Noah struggles with deciding which one of them he's more aggravated at, which will most likely end up being Stiles anyway, Scott says, "Derek's been aged backwards. He can't remember anything." Noah blinks at that, and then points at Nixie and says, "He said her name." Stiles nods and says, "Yeah, but that's because she's the one who comforted him while we were getting him out of Mexico."

Noah sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose while Stiles says, "Look, we just need to talk to him." Nixie nods and adds, "And get him somewhere safe until we can figure out how to fix this." Noah nods to that, but then sighs and says, "I get it guys. But so far… he's not talking to anybody. Except Nixie, it looks like. And I'm guessing her influence only stretches so far."

Stiles shrugs and says, "We could test it, but since he already ran away from us once, I'd rather not right now. Nixie could probably convince him to stay for a while." Scott nods, but then adds, "But he'll listen to me. At least a little bit. I'm the alpha. He'll listen." Nixie nods to that, and as Noah prepares to bring Derek in, she asks, "What happened to Derek's shirt?"

Noah sighs and says, "Jordan's already handed in his report. Nixie, I can't afford to fire him right now." "Fire who?" "Haigh." Frowning, Nixie asks, "What did he do?" "He used the tazer on Derek. But he's a werewolf, so he's fine."

But Nixie's eyes are livid as she says, "He's a teenager who doesn't understand any of what's going on around him! He's a terrified kid! What the actual, fucking, hell, Noah!" "Nixie, I can't…"

But as much as he knows he can't afford to fire Haigh right now, he doesn't try to stop Nixie as she storms out of the office.

Jordan peeks up from his desk, only to snap himself to attention at the fury in Nixie's gaze. Derek had been standing, maybe about to reach out for her, but drew himself up short when her piercing eyes began sweeping across the room.

And when they land on Haigh… if looks could kill.

It wasn't the same as when she'd glared at Jordan last year. When he hadn't readily given Chris Argent his electrified baton back, she'd given him a similar glare… but not like this. The one he'd received had been full of annoyance and aggravation, like she didn't have time to stand there and debate with him about whether or not to give Chris the weapon back. The light saber, as he'd called it at the time.

But the look she was giving Haigh, would make any sane man fear for his life. She looked ready to murder him. At the very least, she looked ready to beat the man within an inch of his life. And he'd seen Nixie take on ninjas. Actual ninjas. Haigh wouldn't stand a chance.

Nor would Nixie survive the amount of charges that Haigh was sure to file and press if he decided to. Noah's pull as the Sheriff was far reaching, but there was a limit to what he could do.

So as Nixie made to march across the room to Haigh, even as the man in question scrambled in his seat in fear, Jordan rose quickly to his feet. Reaching an arm out to catch her around the waist, drawing her up short, he says softly, "You need to calm down." "He hurt my boy!"

She said it through her teeth, but there was no less venom in the words. She was shaking, so visibly furious with the man. Jordan nods and says, "And no one should be stupid enough to do that. I get it, I really do. But if you go over there right now and actually punch him, he will try to have you arrested for attacking an officer."

Glancing at Haigh, who was trying to weave his way out of the room at the moment, Jordan sighs and says, "And to piss me off even more today, he'd probably insist that I help with arresting you. And right as you may be to want to hit him, legally I would have to assist."

Stiles and Scott gently usher Derek into the office with Noah, and then Scott steps tentatively towards Jordan and Nixie. "Nix… I need you to watch the door. You know… when you're done and okay again. Make sure no one bothers us. Noah's orders." He adds the last part for Jordan's benefit, and then steps back into the office.

It takes another minute, but Nixie finally leans back. Relaxing slightly, Nixie then glances up at Jordan and says, "I want it on record that the only reason I'm not kicking his ass is because I don't think I can afford to spend tonight in a jail cell." And Jordan can't help it. He grins slightly and says, "Noted. I promise." "Good."

Sighing, Nixie steps back and then mumbles, "Sorry." "For what?" "I don't know. For making you have to worry about me attacking your partner. I'm sure you have more important things to do." Jordan shrugs and says, "I don't know about that. Keeping you out of any worse trouble… seems like a pretty important thing to me."

He relaxes a little more when she grins at him, and then she says, "Thanks, Parrish." "Sure, Nixie."

After that, she takes a seat by the door to Noah's office, ensuring that anyone who comes any closer, doesn't try to enter before Scott and Stiles are done talking to Derek inside. And though her glare is no less threatening to anyone that comes near the door, Jordan can't help but notice the dark circles already returning under her eyes. She looks exhausted. Like she hasn't slept in a week. And considering they were all supposed to have gone on one final vacation before school started… that was saying something.

With that in mind, Jordan steps away from his desk and into the lunch area. Pulling out one of the portable cups and pouring in some coffee, he goes about making her special coffee. He fills up another one for himself, taking it black, and then steps back out of the room.

Her gaze had gone back to Haigh for a moment, since the man had stupidly reentered the room, but as Jordan started coming up closer to her, she looked up at him. And it warmed his heart to see her glare vanish. Pulling up a chair from his own desk, he takes a seat in front of her for the moment, and then hands her the cup of coffee he'd made for her. Glancing at it, Nixie then lifts her gaze back to him and asks, "By the way, how did you manage to convince Stiles to reveal his secret? I don't even know how to make this." Grinning, Jordan simply says, "Trade secret."

She laughs at him, and as she takes a sip, she sighs and says, "Thanks, Parrish." "Sure. You look like you could use it. Must've been quite the camping trip for you to come back this tired already." "Yeah. You could say that."

They don't talk for a while, Jordan knowing that there's probably a lot more to this story than meets the eye, and Nixie is honestly not in a mood to try and make up a lie for him to hear right now. In fact… she hates lying to him. She really does.

Taking another sip of her coffee, Nixie sighs and says, "It's really good." Smiling, Jordan says, "It should be. Pretty sure there's enough sugar content in there to cause diabetes in a normal person." Nixie grins and says, "Good thing I'm not normal then." Jordan nods, "Yes. Thank goodness for that."

She stares at him a moment, and then glances down at his cup and asks, "And what exactly goes into your coffee?" "Nothing. I drink it black." "You do not. No one drinks coffee black." "I do." She raises an eyebrow, and then takes his cup from him and takes a sip. Jordan stares at her for a moment in disbelief, but then can't help laughing when she nearly chokes on it. Making a disgusted sound in her throat, Nixie asks, "How in hell do you drink that?!" "Personally, I drink it hot."

Nixie's eyes widen, but then she laughs and says, "Right. Of course." Grinning, Parrish says, "I always drink it black. Used to do it because the sugar and stuff wasn't part of what helped me stay awake. That was actually counterproductive. Now… now this is just how I like it."

Nixie nods in understanding, though she smirks and adds, "And you call me abnormal." Jordan chuckles and then they both look up when Stiles sticks his head out the door. Turning to Nixie, he says, "Um… Nix, could you… he um… he wants to see you. Right now, please?" Nixie raises an eyebrow at that, but nods and stands up. Jordan rises with her, and smiles again when she says, "Thanks again for the coffee, Parrish." "Of course. Do try to get some sleep eventually, Nixie." She nods, though he hears her mumble, "No promises though." Then she steps into the office with the others.

Turning to look at Derek as Scott is talking with him, she jumps when his head immediately snaps in her direction. Scott had apparently given up on finding the middle ground. He was about to tell Derek that his family was alright, and just had to leave Beacon Hills for a while. But while he's trying to get Derek's attention back, they all freeze when Derek says, "I'll listen to her."

And as all eyes land on her, Nixie shrugs as a sign that she doesn't understand it either. Scott was the alpha. He should have more pull that Nixie did in this situation. So Nixie asks, "Derek… why? I'm not the alpha."

Derek's response, for the moment, is to dash so he's right in front of her. Stiles jumps from her side and tries to move between them, but Nixie gives him a gentle shove to stay where he is. Stiles says, "Nixie, he's still…" "He's Derek Hale. Which means he's harmless when it comes to me." Derek nods that he has no intention of hurting her. If anything, his eyes seem to widen at the realization that anyone thought he would ever try to hurt her.

Nixie hands her coffee over to Stiles to hold, and stares up into Derek's eyes. There is still so much confusion, fear, and worry in his wide gaze. But as he continues looking on at her, she can also see a glimmer of hope, and it's all directed at her right now.

As his hands clench into fists repeatedly at his side, as though restraining himself at the moment, he then says, "You… you smell safe. Like safety. Like home." Nixie blinks in surprise to that, and then Derek turns to Scott and asks, "Don't you smell it too?" Scott nods without question, but then jumps when Nixie snaps her eyes over to him in surprise. Blinking in her confusion, Nixie asks, "What? Why do I smell like that?" Scott shrugs and says, "You always have." "And when was anyone ever going to tell me that?!" Scott sighs and adds, "It's not… it's not anything new Nixie. You've always smelled like that. From my first day as a wolf, to now. It's just… it's how you smell. I guess I just… didn't really think anything of it at the time."

While Nixie keeps that bit of information at the side of her mind to mull over later, she turns back to Derek. Sighing, she says, "Alright. What do you want to know?" He immediately asks, "What happened to my house?" "There was a fire, and it was almost burned all the way to the ground. It's been condemned for quite a while." "And my family? What about my family? Where are they? What…" Nixie puts a hand on his shoulder and says, "Derek, slow down…" "Please, I need to…" "Derek, look at me."

He meets her deep blue eyes, and listens as she says gently, "I am not going to explain all of that to you right now. I know, that you're confused and hurt and scared. And that's okay. You have every right to be." Firming her gaze a bit, she says, "But I am not going to tell you every great detail of what you don't remember. I want you to remember it for yourself. I want you to get your memories back."

She stares at him hard a moment longer, and then asks gently, "Do you understand?" Scott and Stiles wait with baited breath for Derek's response, and then both sigh in relief when he nods and says softly, "Okay." Nixie nods in turn, and then is about to turn towards Scott to ask what their next step should be. But Derek finally launches forward and wraps his arm around her tightly.

Nixie freezes for a moment in surprise, but then settles in for hugging him back. Running a hand up his trembling back, willing her comfort into him, she says, "It's alright Derek. We are going to figure this out. I promise." Derek buries his face against her neck, breathing her in, soaking in all of the comfort and peace she willingly provides.

Nixie then glances over at Scott and asks, "So… what's the plan now, my dear alpha?" Scott smiles gently at her, nodding his appreciation for finding the middle ground. Then he says, "We get his memories back… somehow. I'm going to talk to somebody who can, maybe, at least help us put a timetable on where Derek currently is in his mind."

Nixie wonders who that might be, but then her phone buzzes. It's Kira texting her, telling her that she needs to come and be with Lydia. Immediately.

Frowning at that, Nixie then lifts her gaze and says, "Alright. Where are we taking Derek for safe keeping?" Stiles points to Scott and says, "Scott's house." Nixie nods, and then as Derek leans back, she cups his face in her hands and says, "You will be safe there. Alright?" He nods, and then asks, "Are you coming?" "I can't. Not right away. I have to help a friend follow up another lead. But I'll be there as soon as I can. For now though, Stiles will take you."

And then she looks at Stiles and whispers, "Be nice." "Me?!" Nixie grins at his exclamation, and then is about to turn and leave. That's when Derek catches her arm and draws her back in. Confused, Nixie asks, "What…"

And then his lips are on hers. Nixie freezes in complete shock, but doesn't shove him away. She lets him.

When he pulls back after that quick kiss, Derek sighs and says, "Sorry. I… it just…" But Nixie says in realization, "Made you feel even more relaxed and safe." Derek nods, and Nixie puts a hand on his shoulder and says, "I'm not mad. Don't worry about that."

Scott and Stiles look at each other, and when Noah gives them all a questioning look, Scott explains, "Isaac did the same to thing to her last year apparently. Somehow, it helped him soak up her scent that much more."

After that, everyone finally divides to go to their respective places. Scott to Peter. Stiles with Derek to Scott's house, under strict instructions to inform Nixie the moment anything new happened or developed.

Nixie, before leaving, stepped into the back lounge of the station. Leaning against the sink, she sighs and runs a hand over her face and mouth. That was… she believes it was the fifth time she'd been kissed. And now she finally understands why she'd been kissed by men that she knew would never actually love her the way a boyfriend, or an eventual lover might.

She loves providing comfort to her friends. She did everything she could to make them feel safe and secure. But this… this was the only reason she'd ever been kissed. And in spite of the happy result it had… for Nixie, it was downright sad.

As Jordan walks into the room a moment later, he pauses at Nixie's side. He'd been glancing into Noah's office every now and then, checking on them in there after Nixie had gone in. And he'd seen Derek kiss Nixie, and had seen that she didn't push him away.

He couldn't explain it… but he was almost sorry that he had been so nice to the kid this whole time… whether he was Nixie's boy or not.

Rinsing out a mug in the sink, he actually says kindly, "So… you're boyfriend seemed to be in better spirits when he left? How's he…" "Shut up, Parrish."

Usually, her comments of 'shut up' were jokes and not literal. At least, to him they had been. Most of the time. But this time… this time she actually sounded utterly pissed. Frowning and leaning against the sink with her, he asks, "Hey. What's wrong? I thought things were working out. Derek was released. He looks happier. What's…"

Nixie stands up straight so fast that Jordan has to blink before he can follow the movement. Running a hand through her hair, she turns back to face him. And Jordan's just standing there, watching her with his concerned eyes, leaning back against the sink now, waiting for her to tell him what's wrong.

And she's not sure why. It still makes absolutely no sense. But she wants to tell him. In fact… she feels like telling him will somehow make it better than if she were to tell any other person that she could talk to about this. And considering all the people she has that she could talk to about this… that was saying something.

But Jordan was easy to talk to. He was a good listener, and had even more patience than she did. So finally…

Jordan blinks in surprise when Nixie says, "You want to know what's wrong? What's wrong, is that I have been kissed a total of five times, my whole life. And each time, it has not meant anything." Frowning, Jordan asks, "What do you mean?" "I mean, I've never been kissed by anyone who mattered! At least… not that way."

Sighing and running both hands through her hair, pulling her ponytail out in the process to make it easier, Nixie huffs in her aggravation before speaking again. "I mean… they all matter. They're mine. I'd die for them. But… I've only actually been kissed by two people. Wait… three? No, two. Anyways, it doesn't matter. What matters, is that they only did it because of how I make them feel. Which is safe, and at home. They kissed me because they wanted to feel even more comfort than they already did from me. And that's not what a kiss is supposed to do. I mean… sometimes, sure. But it's also supposed to be a thing full of passion… a promise of more."

Stopping in her pacing, sighing again, Nixie says, "I've been kissed five times. And not once has that even been an inkling of an option. Not once."

Then Nixie looks back over at Jordan, who is still standing there, watching her, his patient gaze taking her in and everything she's saying. Blinking, finally remembering who she's talking to, Nixie then says, "And I'm… sorry. You… you didn't need to know that. God, I'm so sorry. I just…"

Jordan stands up after that, coming closer to her. Gently wrapping an arm around her, he says, "Hey. Come here."

He draws her in, one hand wrapping down towards her waist, the other remaining high, his hand resting at the back of her head. Nixie remains frozen for a moment, but then he feels her arms wrap around him in turn.

He feels what everyone else feels, he suspects. As though some unseen weight was suddenly lifted from him. But… and he's not even sure how… he finds himself trying to push back against that feeling. He didn't have any huge burdens to carry… not like Nixie apparently felt she did. And what she needed right now, wasn't for someone to try and take comfort from her. What she needed, was for someone to finally give it back.

As her hands cling tighter, Jordan feels her tremble in his grip. Breathing out a long sigh against his chest, Nixie suddenly feels that, even while standing, she could fall asleep right here, and find better rest than she ever has anywhere else.

She's not sure how long they stand there. She just knows that, even though she's the one that pulls back, she still hasn't spent enough time in his arms.

She really needed to figure out why she liked him so much. Sooner, rather than later, as this point.

Jordan glances down at her when she leans back, and then asks, "Can I help you get home?" Nixie shakes her head and says, "No. I'm not going home yet." "You need rest, Nixie." She smiles up at him and says, "I know. I'll get that, eventually. I promise."

He nods after a moment, and then says, "Alright. Be careful Nixie." "As careful as I can be." She backs up a step more, and is about to walk out the door, when she turns back to him and says, "Parrish?" He looks over at her and asks, "Yeah?" "Thank you." Smiling gently, he says, "Anytime, Nixie."

And with that, and a bit of a lighter bounce to her step, Nixie leaves the station to find Lydia, prepared to take on whatever new crisis has apparently come up since yesterday. And if Lydia was the one that found it… it definitely couldn't be good.

* * *

When Kira remembered that Nixie hadn't driven herself anywhere today, trying to save on gas money, she takes Lydia's car to come and meet Nixie on the road. And when they come back to the gas station, Lydia is still just standing there, staring into the bathroom on the side of the building. Nixie hops out to head over, but Kira cautions her, "Nixie… it's, pretty gruesome." Nixie nods in understanding, but when she comes to stand next to Lydia, she still looks inside to see what Lydia's sees.

Blood is everywhere. There isn't a surface that isn't covered in the stuff, save a few areas on the floor. And the man that all the blood came from is torn apart. The insides of his stomach can be seen pooling on the floor beside what's left of him. His head… well, Nixie wouldn't know it was his head if the man's feet weren't still attached to his body.

It was savagery. It was chaos. Frowning, Nixie says, "It looks like she lost it." Lydia nods numbly for a moment, and then takes in a shaky breath before turning to Nixie. Holding up her phone, she says, "I called Noah. They'll be here soon. He's giving us a few minutes so you could have time to see it." Nixie nods, and then glances down at her phone when it goes off.

Picking it up, she asks, "Yeah, Scott?" "Derek's gone." Frowning deeply, Nixie asks, "How in the hell…" Then she closes her eyes, takes a deep breath, and then says, "Fine. We'll find him again, and we'll tie his ass up in a basement somewhere until we can get him back. Where is he?" "That's the thing. We're not sure. But we know Kate took him."

Blinking, Nixie asks, "What the hell does she want Derek for now?" "Again, I'm hoping you and Lydia can help with that. While talking to Peter, we figured out that Kate took him back to the age where he still knew and trusted her. So… does that help?" Nixie shrugs and says, "Not sure yet. Let me fill you in on what we have here and then I'll work on that." "Sure. What did Lydia find?" "Same thing she always finds. A dead body. Except this one is… exceptionally dead. Torn to shreds, blood everywhere. I mean, it's…" "Can you send pictures?"

Nixie blinks and then turns to Lydia and says, "Scott wants pictures." Lydia widens her gaze at Nixie, who nods and says, "I know. Not exactly screensaver material. We'll delete them right after." So Lydia peers her way inside, taking pictures of what she thinks might be most important, and then sends them to Scott's phone. Nodding, Nixie asks, "You get em', Scott?"

Scott looks down, and though horrified by the sight he's seeing, he says, "Yeah. Yeah, we got em." Then Nixie hears Malia over the line ask, "Why would she want to kill a gas station attendant?" As Peter gazes at the pictures, he says, "I don't think she could help it. This looks like it was done in more of a frenzy. It's not a murder."

They all pause when Nixie says, "Uh, worth noting to the jackass in the room, this is definitely, one-hundred-percent, a murder. And cops are probably going to label it as some sort of crazed lunatic that might be going out on a spree." Peter concedes, "Well, if it's Kate, then that wouldn't be such a bad warning to send out to people. But, as far as the intent of it goes, it's not a murder. She didn't plan this. No… this is a symptom?"

Scott looks up at him and asks, "Of what?" "She can't control the shift." And as Scott ponders it more, he says, "Derek said the same thing. When we were talking in Noah's office, he said that he was still learning to control it. He was fine so long as it wasn't a full moon, but if that came up, he'd be in trouble."

Malia asks next, "So, Kate's still learning?" And they all look at the phone again when Nixie says, "The bitch has had at least two years to learn. You'd think she'd have learned to exert some willpower by now." Peter then says, "Unfortunately, not everyone can be as quick a study as your alpha, Nixie. Even for born werewolves, it sometimes takes until they're adults before they've fully mastered the shift."

And then Peter adds, "Plus, she hasn't had a teacher. Kate wants to learn to control the shift." Nodding, Malia asks, "So, she wants Derek to teach her?" But Peter shakes his head and says, "No. She wants the triskelion."

Nixie asks over the phone, "And that would be what, exactly? And can Derek even get it for her?" Peter answers, "The triskelion is a round stone with the triskele carved into it. It was Derek's, when he was younger. A token to keep with him and to try and remind him of the mantra to help him learn control. But I'm pretty sure Kate thinks it just gives out control, and that's not how it works. The thing is barely even valuable, in any sense other than a sentimental one."

Nodding to herself, Nixie says, "Okay. And where the hell is that?" "In the Hale vault. Beneath the school." And Scott can't help but grin when Nixie asks, "Why is there a vault under the school? Why did that seem like an ideal place to put it?" Peter sighs and says, "The vault was there first. The school ended up built over top of it."

After a pause, Nixie says, "Alright. I guess we're going to the school. Scott, I'll meet you there as soon as I can. But…" "I know. Take care of Lydia." "Trust me. I'm all over it."

Soon as she hangs up, Nixie pulls Lydia gently away from the scene. They take seats on the concrete step by the gas pumps, and as Lydia leans into Nixie, she says, "I'm okay. I just… wasn't quite expecting that." Nixie nods and says, "I know. Neither was I. And considering all the possibilities I try to account for when it comes to what you might end up finding… that is saying something." Lydia grins, and then says, "Thanks for coming." "Like you could've kept me away if you tried."

They sit there for a while, until the cops arrive and start taking inventory of the scene. Lydia has to give a statement of what she saw. Nixie calls Stiles when it takes more than an hour to get this done, and he's on his way to them when Nixie's phone rings.

Jordan is taking Lydia's statement, but they both turn as they hear Nixie say, "Scott, slow down. There's what?"

Over her phone, Scott yells, "Berserkers! Kate brought them with her from the desert! They're here!" "I'm on my way."

She doesn't care if Lydia's done giving her statement or not, she runs up to them anyway. Catching Lydia's elbow gently, she says, "I have to go." Lydia nods and then pulls out her keys and says, "Take my car. I'll get a ride with Stiles when he gets here. Go!"

As Nixie takes off, Jordan turns to Lydia and asks, "Is everything alright?" Lydia sighs and says, "That's going to take a much longer discussion than we have time for, I'm afraid." Jordan nods, going back to his notes, not pressing for now. Lydia looks him over, and then says, "Though, you'll probably be brought in eventually."

Jordan glances up at her, and then chuckles and asks, "In what, exactly? Is there some cult I should be aware of?" "No. We're not a cult." Jordan nods, already knowing that. Then he pauses again when Lydia says, "But you're Nixie's favorite now. Means you'll be a good friend for us to have."

Looking up at her again, Jordan says, "You say I'm her favorite like that means something significant. Other than the fact that it also helped in making me the sheriff's favorite." Lydia smiles gently and says, "Nixie doesn't like people easily. You have to have good stuff inside. You have to have the potential to be our friend. And a very good one, at that. You have to be hers."

Jordan nods again, but then says, "But I'm not hers. From what I can tell, that title seems to reside over you guys, who are in her grade." Lydia tilts her head as Jordan takes more notes, and then she says, "I thought you'd be smarter."

When Jordan gives her a slightly offended look, Lydia says, "Just because we're Nixie's age and therefore her closer friends, doesn't mean we're the only ones who she claims. You think Noah, or Melissa, are any less hers because they're the adults instead of kids? No… they're Nixie's just the same."

And when Jordan returns to his notes, he can't help but overhear Lydia's mumbled add on, "And you're hers too. Whether either of you realize it yet, or not."

* * *

Kira had hopped inside the car with Nixie, with barely enough time to shut her door before Nixie took off down the road. And, never having ridden with Nixie before when she was in high-speed-pursuit mode, Kira finds herself clinging to the handlebar above her head for dear life.

Nixie never crashes though. She pulls in and parks right in front of the lower steps at the back of the school, and then takes off out of the car. Kira is two steps behind her, both of them running to try and find Scott and Malia.

Both freeze when they hear Scott's roar, and then they backtrack and head for the stairs at the back of the lunch area at school.

Scott and Malia have finally been tossed to the ground, both wounded for now and scrambling back to get out of the way. Kira draws her sword and asks Nixie, "You want the one on the right?" "So long as you want the one on the left." Grinning, Kira says, "Done." "Good. Let's go!"

Kira leads in first, using her katana to create distance between the berserkers and where Scott and Malia are on the ground. Then Nixie follows suit, turning the berserker on the right to focus on her, while Kira handles the one on the left.

It occurs to Nixie that this is just a diversion. Kate is nowhere to be seen right now, and neither is Derek or Peter. But diversion or not, they have no choice but to fight these things. At least, until Scott and Malia can get back on their feet.

Then Nixie hears Scott shout, "Kira!" She snaps her attention over in time to see Kira get smacked and tossed back to where Scott is. Gritting her teeth, she twirls her daggers and says, "Alright. Let's go."

Malia is honestly astonished, watching Nixie, the human, fight for them. Stiles had explained to her enough about Nixie that she'd known Nixie was a fighter. A 'compact-ninja' as Stiles was keen to refer to her, even if the name wasn't something Nixie was particularly fond of. But it was another thing entirely, to finally be able to see it all in action.

Amidst being caught between the two berserkers, Nixie does feel a claw slice into her right bicep, and then again on her left side. She just grits her teeth tighter and pushes on. Slamming one across his skull covered face, she then ducks beneath another's arm and leaps over the railing beside them. Dropping down out of sight, clinging to the fenced siding to keep herself from falling to the concrete below, her plan had been to come back up on the other side of the column next to her and then hopefully take them by surprise and push them back further.

But the growl that came from her left had her turning to see the young Derek charging at the berserkers. One berserker had been coming to the edge, trying to find where Nixie had gone. But upon hearing Derek, they both turn to face him.

Derek, being born a werewolf, was more trained to fight than the other supernatural creatures in the pack. Nixie would have to make a note to ask him to teach Scott some moves at some point. She watches him take these creatures on fearlessly, apparently having heard Scott's call and coming to his aid.

When he gets slammed into some lockers, Nixie sees, for the barest moment, how his face shifts and looks like it might be the old Derek again. But then the berserker is bearing down on him. Derek's head almost gets bashed in as he turns around to see the claw coming down at him.

Then the berserker cries out, actually cries out, when Nixie's dagger flies through the air, stabbing into his wrist and knocking him clear of Derek's head. The other one spins around and marches towards her, to which Nixie quickly drops back down as far as she can, still clinging to the fenced side of the railing so she doesn't fall.

The berserker almost reaches down over the railing to grab her anyway, when Derek growls louder and jerks him back. He continues fighting them, flipping around, kicking and clawing at them, holding his own against these beasts.

Then they all hear the cry of a jaguar, and the berserkers stop immediately before taking off away from the school grounds.

And as everyone finally stands up, looking at Derek as he rises to his feet, Scott asks, "Derek?"

And it is Derek. The old Derek. Finally, come back to them and, it seems, remembering all that's happened. Though when he glows his eyes at them… they're yellow. Nixie, who is pulling herself up again, raises an eyebrow and says, "Interesting development." Derek turns to look at her, and then comes to grab hold of her and lift her back onto their side. Settling on her feet again, she sighs and then winces and says, "Owe. That really hurt my fingers. You couldn't have scared them off a little sooner?" Derek raises an eyebrow, but smiles gently at her anyway. Kissing the top of her head, he says, "Hey Nixie." "Hey Derek."

Wrapping her arms around him, she sighs and says, "Good to have you back." "Good to be back." Then Nixie looks to the others and asks, "Is everyone else alright?" They all nod. The werewolves were a little worse for wear, but they were already healing, so they knew they'd be fine. Sighing in relief, Nixie says, "Alright. Let's get out of here then. Does anyone know if Stiles or Lydia showed up?"

When they meet Lydia and Stiles down by the cars, they explain how Peter was robbed while they were fighting the berserkers. One-hundred and seventeen. Million. In bearer bonds.

Nixie's only response is, "And he kept them all in the same place? That's just stupid. He deserves to have them all stolen."

Lydia grins, and then says, "Come on. I'll take you home. We all need to go home and rest. Looks like it's shaping up to be another exciting semester." Nixie nods and says, "Very well said, my dear friend. Very well said."

* * *

When Nixie steps into her apartment, she sees two pieces of new mail. Well, one piece of new mail. The other is a folded note from the landlord, her apparent 'guardian'. Opening the first one, she finds that it's a letter explaining that the cost for her mother's stay in Eichen House had risen slightly, which meant everything else had to be reallocated for where it was going each month. And one of the things that had to go completely, was the rent for the apartment.

Nixie's sure that they must've assumed that, by now for sure, the landlord wouldn't still be charging Nixie rent for her staying in his building. He was supposed to be her father figure… surely removing the rent would be fine.

But Nixie knows better. And as she opens the note from the landlord, sure enough, it explains that he expects the three hundred dollars of rent by the end of the month. Which, she knows, is not actually a lot. There are other places that charge four, five, and six hundred dollars for rent a month. But Nixie is seventeen. Her job, if you can even call it that, is unsteady at best, and she knows she can't earn three-hundred dollars for rent by the end of the month. Not with Kate on the loose, Derek with yellow eyes, and one-hundred-seventeen million bonds stolen for only God knows what reason.

On top of that, given everything that seemed to be happening, she was going to have to start riding her bike again, which meant money for gas, which meant less money for rent.

But… Nixie has a plan for this. She's always had a plan, ever since she saw the true character of the landlord come out. She couldn't stay with Scott or Stiles. Scott's dad was taking the spare room in his house, and Stiles' dad was the sheriff. Sure, she's stayed with them before, but only on temporary basis. This would be more permanent, and with Noah being the sheriff… she didn't want to put him in that position. She was technically still a minor, which meant she should be reported to the system if she ended up homeless.

And hell will freeze over before Nixie leaves or gets sent anywhere away from her family and friends. Her pack.

Lydia's family was in enough financial struggle as it was. They didn't need to bear her as a burden too. And Kira… well, Nixie is sure Kira would volunteer to help her stay… but she is not sure about Noshiko and Ken. Ever since last year, she'd kept her opinion of those two as clearly still being on thin ice.

So no… for now, she sticks with the plan she'd made long ago. Long before she even met Scott and Stiles. Nixie had always had a plan… had always feared something like this might happen.

Still, you have to admit… it couldn't have come at a worst time. And as Nixie lays down to sleep that night, wracking her brain to see if there is any other solution, she hears a soft misting rain begin landing against her window nearby. Wiping at her nose, a tear leaving her eye, she sighs and says, "Nothing to cry over. This is just another thing. A thing I can deal with. And given all the other shit I've had to deal with in the past two years alone… this is a cake walk. It's just a thing. Nothing more."

In spite of that though, the mist remains on her window outside, a tiny bit of frost forming at the edge of the glass.

* * *

And here is Chapter 2! Woohoo!


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: "I do not own Teen Wolf. The show, the characters, and any quotes from the show belong to Jeff Davis and his amazing team of writers. I only own Nixie, and anything I make her do or say."

* * *

Chapter 3: Episode 4x3

As Nixie walks with Scott and Stiles towards the lacrosse field, she points to Stiles in agreement when he says, "Scott, of course you're still the team captain. You got your grades up, just like Coach told you to. Plus, he probably considers the act of removing you from that position, as a form of suicide." Scott tilts his head curiously at that, to which Stiles just points at Nixie in response. She shrugs and says, "Well, I'm certainly not gonna be happy if he doesn't let you keep your position."

Scott grins at her, but then sighs and says, "I'm glad you guys are confident in that. But Coach never actually told me that I was back on the team. He just told me to show up for tryouts today."

Nixie slings an arm around him and says, "Scott, that's because you can't be on the team, at all, if you're not at tryouts. Even the seniors who basically already know they're on the team, have to show up for the tryouts, or they don't actually make it. Well… unless they have a doctor's note or something. But considering you heal rapidly and can't catch any infectious diseases, you can't get one of those. So, you have to show up if you want to be on the team. And Coach knows that, which is why he demanded you show up."

Scott grins down at her again, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. Sighing, he says, "You do always know what to say." "Maybe in the grand scheme of things, that's my super power. You have claws and fangs. Stiles has sarcasm and a bat. I have daggers and the amazing ability to always know what to say." Stiles gives her a look and says, "We share the sarcasm bit." "True, but I concede that it was yours before it was mine. You are just an exceptionally good teacher."

He grins too, and then says, "Aside from the fact that Nixie's right about all of that, we have bigger things to worry about anyway, besides lacrosse teams. Now, Scott, did you tell Argent about Kate yet?" Scott nods and says, "Yeah, I texted him. But he hasn't gotten back to me."

Stiles freezes in his step and turns towards Scott. Nixie is just shaking her head, ducking to hide her silent laughter, as Stiles asks, "You told Argent that his sister, Kate, came back from the dead… over a text?" Scott looks between both of them, and then exclaims, "I didn't have the money to call France!"

Nixie pats him on the back and says, "Don't stress Scott. I'll work on talking to him some more when I have a minute." He nods his appreciation, and then they look at Stiles when he sighs and says, "And you think you got money problems? Try paying or an MRI and a visit to Eichen House."

Scott gives him a sympathetic look and asks, "Another notice?" "Yeah. And this one said 'Final'." Stiles then looks at Nixie, and he shifts a little before saying, "I… I know we got a lot going on right now. But do you think…" Nixie waves a hand at him in a carefree motion and says, "I can't promise anything on the Eichen House matter. I'll have to delve a little deeper into the insurance policy your dad has with the station. But your MRI? That should definitely be covered. I'll figure out what's wrong there and have it sorted. A week tops. Well… two if some other catastrophe happens between now and then."

Stiles chuckles and then kisses the top of her head before saying, "You are, literally, the best thing that's ever happened to me." Nixie rolls her eyes and says, "Don't exaggerate. Besides, I thought that was Lydia." Stiles shakes his head and says, "Even the fair Lydia, and my Malia, could not hope to surpass you." Grinning, Nixie says, "Just go out there and practice."

But as Scott nods at her, Stiles sighs again and says, "Should we though? I mean, seriously. Let's think about this. What are we even doing here right now? We have like, literally, one-hundred-seventeen million problems… and worrying about our status on the lacrosse team shouldn't be one of them." Nixie nods in agreement, but then glances at Scott when he says, "It is now though."

And they all look out at the goal on the field, watching the new kid catch, literally, ever single ball that is thrown at him. Making an impressed sound in the back of her throat, Nixie says, "He's good." Stiles and Scott both look at her, to which she says, "I didn't say he was better than you guys. Just that he's good. It takes more than good to be captain. Don't worry Scott. Just keep your head, go out there and have fun. The rest will take care of itself."

As her boys take off across the field to practice before tryouts later, Nixie looks at the new kid again. She'd heard another guy on the field call him Liam.

Scott and Stiles were a bit intimidated by him and his skill. And yeah… it was an impressive show. One that Nixie is sure has the wheels in Stiles' head spinning rapidly with theories about how he could be that impressive as a freshman.

But as Nixie looks at him… she decides she likes him. And hey, given the school's past record with lacrosse players… they could use a few more good ones.

And with that, she walks off the field, dialing Chris' number as she goes. Scott's excuse about not being able to call France was valid and reasonable. But seriously? Someone needed to actually talk to the man concerning his dead sister… who apparently wasn't so dead.

Yeah. That was something that required vocal communication. Nixie doesn't care how much it costs.

* * *

Stiles catches up to Nixie in the hall later, heading to math class, when they spot Malia in the doorway of the room. And as she begins slowly retreating, Stiles sighs and says, "Come on. We're gonna have to drag her in again."

And while Stiles called it dragging, and if it was just him, he definitely would've been dragging… Nixie just took Malia's hand and guided her back inside. Huffing in aggravation, Malia says, "I hate math. It's pointless!" Stiles shakes his head, and as he takes the seat behind Malia, he says, "It's school. School is important. Math… essential." Malia turns to him and asks, "To what?!" "Knowing how much to tip at restaurants."

Taking the seat behind Lydia, Nixie laughs when Lydia adds, "And less important things. Like medicine, economics, engineering…" Giving Lydia's shoulder a squeeze, Nixie says, "Yeah. So much less important than tipping." Stiles gives them both a look, and then looks forward with everyone else as Ms. Fleming says, "Alright. Volunteers to the board."

Looking around at everyone, she calls out, "Lydia, Diego, and Malia." Malia's head snaps up, and she quickly says, "I didn't volunteer." But Ms. Fleming just replies, "You did now. To the board."

Stiles gives her a smile, but Malia just growls in response before moving to stand at the board.

Nixie watches her for a moment, sees the tremor enter her hand in fear. Malia didn't actually care what people thought of her. But she also didn't want to hear anyone whisper or talk about how little she knew compared to all of them. It wasn't her fault. She hadn't been here to learn with the rest of them in younger years.

Malia was still staring at the problem, slightly shaking, when she hears Nixie whisper, "Malia. Just breathe. Deep breath in. Deep breath out."

She listens, and though Lydia raises an eyebrow when Malia so visibly tries to calm down, she then glances back at Nixie, watching as her lips move slightly without actually making sound. She was whispering so only Malia could hear.

Nodding, Nixie says, "Good. Now, step to your right just a tiny bit." Malia listens again, and then Nixie scans over the problem with her eyes really quick, before answering, "Alright. 'X' equals twenty-five. Write that down, and then you can come back and sit." Malia nods, writes it down, and then hurries back to her seat.

When Lydia comes back afterwards, she turns and says gently to Nixie, "Cheating isn't helping her." "Yeah, well, neither is having her stand at the board to answer a question she isn't ready to answer. Ms. Fleming should know better."

Then Nixie hears Stiles' phone go off, and as his lips draw down in a tight frown, Nixie grabs his attention and asks, "What?" He just shakes his head and says, "Later."

And when they finally meet up with Kira and Scott in the hall later, Stiles explains about the news alert on his phone. Kira's eyes widen as she asks, "An ax murderer?" Stiles nods and adds, "A family-murdering ax murderer."

Nixie frowns, deep in thought, until she hears Scott say, "I… already heard about it." Stiles flails slightly as he asks, "What? You did? How?!" "My mom called me. She knew we'd see it on the news." And Scott doesn't argue with the light slap that hits the back of his head. Crossing her arms, Nixie asks, "And why didn't she tell me?" "Because I asked her not to." "Scott…" "No, Nixie, I get it. Keep you informed. And I was going to. But I didn't want you or Stiles to jump at this. From the sound of things… it's not a supernatural thing we have to deal with."

Stiles' mouth drops open as he stares at Scott, but then his eyes bug out when Nixie sighs and says, "Yeah. I guess so." Stiles gapes at all three of them, and then says, "Seriously! You guys want to stay in school! Did you not understand the part about there being a 'family-murdering ax murderer'?" Nixie gives him a look and says, "Stiles. Your dad is the sheriff. And on any matter relating to the supernatural, I will gladly help you veto his decision to try and keep us out of the loop on things."

Looking up at Scott, Nixie concedes, "But… Scott's right. It doesn't sound like a 'supernatural' disaster." Scott nods and adds, "And they want us to stay out of it." Stiles snaps his gaze between both of them rapidly and asks, "Are you guys kidding me? There's a family-murdering ax murderer… and we're not going to do anything about it?!" Kira says gently, "Maybe, this time, we should let the adults handle it."

Stiles gapes at her, and then leans back and says, "So you three… you just want to stay here, in school, go to class…" Kira and Scott nod, to which Stiles says, "I've never heard of anything so irresponsible in my life."

Nixie laughs as Stiles starts walking off, giving Scott a rough wave when Scott says, "See you at tryouts." Patting Scott on the back, Nixie says, "I've got him." And then she winks a bit at Kira, before hurrying off to catch up with Stiles.

Wrapping an arm around him, she asks, "So… what are we going to do about this?" He turns to her, and then grins and asks, "Ditch school and look for clues?" Nixie gives him a look, to which he pouts. Chuckling, Nixie says, "At least wait until after tryouts today Stiles. You won't even be on the lacrosse team if you're not there. Then we'll worry about how we're going to corner your father into letting us in on the investigation." "Done. I love you." "Yeah, I love you too. Now get out of here."

Grinning as he runs off, much giddier now, Nixie then takes a moment to just stand in the hall and relax for a moment.

But as she walks into her next class, where Lydia is also supposed to be. She notices that Lydia is missing. Frowning, she asks herself quietly, "Where are you Lydia?"

* * *

When tryouts finally roll around, Nixie still hasn't seen Lydia anywhere else the rest of the day. Sighing, she stands and is about to leave, when Malia sits up straighter and asks, "What's wrong with you?"

Seeing that Malia is looking at Kira, Nixie moves to sit on Kira's other side. Kira just says, "Me? Nothing!" Malia rolls her eyes, "You wreak of anxiety. And it's distracting." Nixie grins at Malia. Her tone of voice didn't exactly convey a whole lot of sympathy. But… the very fact that she was asking what was wrong with Kira was proof that she was making progress. She did care; at least about those in the pack. And if that's all Malia ever learned to care about, that was fine by Nixie.

Nudging Kira's shoulder, Nixie asks gently, "What's going on?" Kira glances between the two of them, and then finally spits out in a ramble, "Scott and I sort of had this thing happen. But, it wasn't much of a thing. And now… I'm starting to think it never was anything at all." Malia shrugs a little while asking, "What do you want it to be?"

Kira takes a second to think about that, and then sighs and says, "More." Nixie smiles gently, and then says, "Kira… just be patient. Scott is into you. I believe Lydia told you the same thing." "But…" Nixie gives her a look, and then says, "He's not a person who always understands that, sometimes, his actions seem bigger to you than they do to him. Not because they mean less to him or don't seem big. But because, for him, some of those things are already obvious in his mind. And, sometimes, he forgets that it might not already be obvious to you."

Kira nods, but asks in confusion, "So… we do have a thing?" Nixie grins and says, "Be patient. Scott will catch up pretty soon. I promise." Then she stands and says, "Now… I'm going to see if I can locate Lydia. If Scott or Stiles ask…"

But then, Scott shoots for the goal and hits the pole edge. Teammates laugh and one boy shouts, "Hey, McCall! Nice shot!" Nixie recognizes him from earlier… and she most certainly doesn't like him. Then she hears Stiles shouts, "Hey Garrett! Shut up!"

Everyone just laughs again… but then the field slowly begins going silent. Those few freshmen here who don't know her yet, whisper amongst themselves, wondering what's happening.

Nixie makes her way onto the field, and if it had been anybody else, Coach would've been screaming profanities at them until Christmas. But it was her, so he looked down at his clipboard for a moment, taking inventory.

Danny is in goal right now, and he turns when Nixie walks up to him. Removing his helmet, he says, "Hey Nix." "Hello, Danny boy." Grinning, he asks, "Can I help you?" "I think you can. You know the one named Garrett?" "Yeah." "Think you can give him an exceptionally hard time for me?"

Danny grins again and says, "I will do my utmost for you." "I greatly appreciate it." Liam, who is beyond confused, watches as Danny kisses the top of this girl's head before she begins making her way towards them. And when several players back off instantly, he fears a little what might be coming.

Scott and Stiles, he notices, remain where they are. And Scott, who had been looking rather dismal and disappointed before, is grinning as she approaches.

When she gets to them, Nixie says, "Garrett's going to have an exceptionally hard time making any other goals today. Along with anything else Danny can do to give him a hard time." Stiles smirks and says, "Maybe we should ask if you can be the Coach's assistant." "Not a good idea. I think I'd have choked Coach by now."

They all laugh, and then Nixie squeezes their shoulders and says, "Have fun. Remember that. I'm going to find Lydia." Frowning, Stiles asks, "What's wrong? Is she…" "Nothing is wrong yet. Take a breath, Stiles. Geez. I just haven't seen her in a couple of hours, and she isn't answering my texts. So, I'm going to find her. And if she's with a boy, I'm going to ring his neck."

Scott kisses the top of her head and says, "Be safe. You did drive your bike today, right?" "Yep. Good thing too. Because if I hadn't, I'm not above hotwiring Stiles' car to go find her." She grins at Stiles falsely offended look, and then finally turns to leave.

That's when she stops at Liam. Half the kids behind him shot back, and Liam actually gulped a bit when she looked him over. But then, to his bafflement, she simply said, "You're good." He nods his thanks, but then freezes again when Nixie leans closer and whispers, "Keep it in check, Liam. Just… do me a favor, and try to keep it in check."

And then she takes off, waving at Malia and Kira before she takes off to get on her bike and head out for Lydia.

* * *

Jordan was sitting out front of the house in the police cruiser. Noah had said he didn't want anyone inside… but that didn't mean someone didn't still need to watch the house, and that's what Jordan intended to do. He was looking over photos of the brutal crime. Three murdered, the parents and the older brother. Leaving behind their youngest; Sean.

Noah had said don't blame him for the nightmares, and Jordan wouldn't. But… they were gruesome. Maybe not as gruesome as some of the things he'd seen while in the army… but still, this was one of the worst things he'd seen in his time on the force so far.

He was just glancing up at the house, making sure it was still and quiet… when he saw a figure dart between the two curtains hanging at the window of the front door. Pulling out his gun as he steps out of the car, carefully approaching the house, he wonders who on earth would be walking around so freely in the house with a cop car so visible outside on the street. Surely the killer wasn't that stupid… although it would be convenient if he or she were.

Opening the door as quietly as possible, he steps inside, not entirely sure what to expect.

In the midst of this, Nixie had come in from the back of the house. It was the faster path, in this case. And once she'd figured out where exactly Lydia was, via the GPS location of her phone, Nixie decided the fastest route was definitely the best.

She'd run through the entire upstairs first, looking for Lydia. That's where Sean's room was sure to be, and for some reason, Nixie thought to start there. In hindsight though, she realizes that wasn't really the best place to start. Lydia's a banshee. And banshees don't follow paths leading towards the living. They're drawn to death.

Regardless, Lydia wasn't anywhere upstairs, and Nixie was darting around the ground floor of the house now, trying to find her.

That's when the front door opens, and Jordan's voice says clearly, "Beacon County Sheriff's Department! This is a crime scene. Show yourself." Closing her eyes and sighing, Nixie mutters, "Of course, it would be him." As Jordan rounds the corner of the stairs, he finds Nixie standing there in the hall, eyes still darting around. She doesn't move though, except to turn her head to look at him.

After a moment of stunned silence on his part, Nixie raises an eyebrow and asks, "So… are you going to shoot me?" Jordan huffs and rolls his eyes, pocketing his gun while asking, "What the hell are you doing here?" "Well, I assure you, I have a good reason." Holding up her phone, which is still signaling to this location, Nixie says, "I'm looking for Lydia."

Raising an eyebrow, Jordan asks, "And she's here?" "Obviously. Or… at least, her cell phone is here." Sighing as she continues looking around, Nixie adds, "And if her phone is here and she's not, we're going to need to have a very long discussion about why her phone isn't where it's supposed to be, which is with her. On her person. At all times."

Jordan follows her down the hall, noting in relief that, though she was definitely trespassing on a crime scene, she wasn't contaminating anything. In fact, she was going out of her way to not touch anything more than necessary, even using the sleeve of her jacket to open doors. From behind her, he asks, "Why at all times?"

Nixie turns to look at him, and says in a tone that clearly implies, 'duh', "So I can find her when I need to. Obviously." Jordan raises an eyebrow again, following her back towards the main entrance. Sighing, he says, "Look, Nixie, you really shouldn't…" "If Lydia weren't here, I wouldn't be here. And I will leave, freely and willingly. Just as soon as I have her."

And Jordan might've tried to argue the point further… except that he could sense that Nixie was growing more agitated by the second. She'd clearly already been here a while, long before he saw her from the street, and she still hadn't found Lydia.

As if on cue though, Lydia finally comes out of the furthest room up the hall. Sighing in relief, Nixie says, "Thank God. I've been looking everywhere for you." Lydia glances at her… but Nixie can tell that Lydia isn't actually seeing her yet. She's caught up in her confusion about where she is, how she got here… and why on earth she'd need to be here. The deaths already happened. The house was empty. There was no one else left to die here. Even Sean, when he was released, wouldn't be coming back here, to this place where so much suffering had occurred.

Jordan is about to point and ask what Lydia's doing here, but pauses when he sees the deep concern suddenly etched into Nixie's face. Moving past him for now, Nixie walks up to Lydia, moving to stand in front of her.

Lydia just stands there for a minute, uncertainty the only thing Nixie is positive she sees on her friend's face. Then Lydia's eyes finally focus on Nixie's. Softly, she asks, "How'd you get here?"

Lydia's voice was so soft… so frightened sounding that, to be honest, Jordan was certain Nixie's tone would match it. So he blinked in surprise when Nixie simply answered, "I drove my bike. Come on Lydia. You know that?"

Lydia does actually relax when she talks like that... as though everything was still normal. Then she says, "You know what I mean. How did you know I was here?" "I tracked your phone." "You tracked my phone?" "And for some reason, you actually sound surprised. This is not the first time I've done this." "Nixie, why did you track my phone?" "Because you missed AP World History."

Relaxing even more, cocking her head to the side, Lydia asks, "I missed one class and you decided to hunt me down?" "Hey, I gave you to the end of the school day to show up again. You didn't. So I went about finding you. Again, none of this should be strange to you by now."

And Lydia finally grins and says, "Not strange. Just… you." "Yeah. All part of my natural charm." Grinning back, Nixie opens her arms when Lydia steps closer. Wrapping around Nixie, sighing in relief, Lydia says, "Thanks." "Of course."

Nixie can feel Jordan watching them from down the hall, so after a minute, Nixie whispers, "We also have the sheriff's deputy with us." Leaning back, Lydia looks over at Jordan, and then smiles and says, "Hey Parrish." Jordan waves a bit, and then asks, "So… do I get to ask why she's here?"

Nixie shrugs and asks, "Lydia? You know why you're here?" She shakes her head in response, so Nixie turns back to Jordan and says, "Not yet. Maybe in five minutes." Jordan gives her a look, but she can see the corner of his mouth turning up slightly, though he was trying very hard not to grin at her.

Walking back down the hall towards him, Lydia nods in greeting, and then says, "You and Nixie can stay here and talk. I'll…" But when both sets of eyes look at her like she's crazy, she rolls hers and says, "Fine. Just… follow, I guess." Jordan watches after her, and then looks down at Nixie and says, "I should be making you guys leave."

Nixie looks up at him, and then grins and asks, "Oh, Parrish. Where's your sense of adventure?" "Back at the car." "Well, you can go get it, if you like. We'll wait here for you." He narrows his eyes at her, but can't hide his grin this time. Nixie laughs a bit, and then says, "Besides. You kick us out, and you won't be able to report the interesting find." "What find?" "Whatever it is that Lydia's going to find."

Raising an eyebrow as he follows after Nixie, who follows Lydia, he asks, "And how are you so certain she's going to find something?" Lydia glances at them, and then says, "I would try to explain it, but… I've never gotten a satisfactory explanation myself."

Jordan looks at both of them, and then asks coyly, "Right. You just happen to have an unusual habit of showing up at places where people have been brutally murdered?" Nixie gives him a look and says, "Nice segue. Cause that wasn't obvious." He shrugs indifferently, smirking down at her. Lydia can't help but grin at the two of them for a moment. It was a light kind of flirting going on between them. Very different from any approach Lydia would've taken, which was more direct. But… it suited them. Because even if they couldn't see the connection that was growing between them; Lydia could.

Then she straightens her face and asks, "Are you saying I have a reputation?" Jordan glances at her and says, "I'm saying both of you do." Lydia looks to Nixie worriedly for a moment, as though afraid that she were dragging Nixie along with her. But Nixie is already waving away the comment carelessly, saying, "I've had a reputation there ever since I first met Noah. That's not new."

Jordan chuckles at her, and then says, "True. But, since whenever Lydia shows up, you show up too… now you both have that shared reputation as well. A highly unusual one, at that." Nixie shrugs again and says, "Mine was already unusual to begin with. Really, people shouldn't be so surprised. I mean… hello! It's me. I'm a highly unusual character." "Yes, well that, I'm very much aware of."

Nixie snaps her gaze over to him, her mouth popping open a little in a falsely offended way. But then she grins and says, "Whatever." Jordan grins back at her, and then turns to Lydia and says, "But since Nixie appears to just be following you… maybe you're just psychic. You think?"

Lydia can't help it. She scoffs a tiny bit and asks, "Don't tell me you believe all that?"

And it nearly makes a smile burst onto her face when Nixie, in her own way, comes to Jordan's rescue by saying, "I don't know. Could be a thing. You never know." Then she adds, for sarcastic affect, "Of course, I'm the highly unusual character here. If one of us was going to be psychic, I think it should be me. And if it's not, then I'm highly offended."

Lydia just laughs finally, while Jordan shakes his head at Nixie, a smile playing at his lips. It occurs to him that he should've led these two out of here long ago. But he also finds himself not minding that they're all still standing here.

And that was all Nixie. They were invading a crime scene. It could be seen as a rather high crime, punishable by jail time for most. And yet, here they were standing, looking around for something unknown, and actually laughing while they were doing it.

Still looking at Nixie, Jordan answers Lydia's prior question by saying, "I'd like to say I don't believe in anything. But… I do keep an open mind." Nixie, who had been watching Lydia become more focused in her search, glances back at Jordan. Smiling a little, she says sincerely, "Wise decision, that."

He glances over at Lydia for a moment, and then steps closer to Nixie and says, "But… if she's looking for dead bodies, I think she's a little late." Nixie tilts her head as she looks up at him, and then she says, "Now Parrish. Where is that 'open mind', you were just talking about?"

Then they both hear the hiss of a sealed door opening. Lydia had finally found it. She pushed in on a particular panel of wood, and a door opened that had been hidden in the wall. And Lydia was about to pull it open, about to walk in, when Nixie says, "Lydia."

Stopping, she turns to them, and then says, "Um… I… I need to…" Nixie moves over to her. Grabbing her shoulders, pulling her gently to the side, Nixie says, "Alright. I get it. But you stay behind me."

Pulling the door open after Lydia has agreed, Nixie then prepares to step inside, when a hand gently stops her by gripping her shoulder. Taking his gun out again, Jordan glances at her and asks, "Stay here?" "Oh, yeah. Because that's something you actually think is gonna happen."

He gives her a look, and then sighs before saying, "Then you stay behind me." She doesn't look like she really approves of that plan either, but she doesn't argue as he goes down first. The brick tunnel beneath the house is dark and damp, and it's exceptionally cold down here. Nixie feels fine, but she knows Lydia is probably freezing. Taking off her jacket, leaving herself in a V-neck shirt with elbow-length sleeves, and a tank top underneath, Nixie says, "Put it on." "Aren't you cold, Nix?" "Always. I'm fine. Just put it on."

When Jordan finally reaches the end of the hall, pushing through some hanging flaps before a doorway, he takes a minute to shine his light all the way around. Then, finding a light switch, he cuts on the power, lighting up the room full of giant, frozen bags hanging from the ceiling.

Holstering his gun once more, Jordan says, "It looks like a game locker. You know? Like venison. And… hunting's legal in some parts of the state, but…" Nixie nods and says, "Not deer in this county. They're too scarce here." Jordan nods approvingly at her knowledge, and then turns back to the bags.

While he moves towards the left, Nixie stays on the right. Curiously, she pulls down one of the zippers on one of the bags. And the second the top of the object inside is revealed, she freezes altogether in horror.

Jordan actually shivers as the temperature of the room seems to drop a few more degrees all of a sudden. Perhaps the room had a system hooked up to keep it a specific temperature and was activating to make it cooler again. But before he can look into that, he hears Lydia gasp.

Turning back to them, joining them at the bag they're standing at, he gapes at the human corpse that is hanging inside the bag. Which, though it didn't need to be said aloud by any of them, meant that every single bag hanging in this room… had a dead person in it.

Jordan turns back towards them again, about to usher them out and get them the hell out of this nightmare. He should've never let them down here in the first place. God, this was…

But before he can tell them to head back upstairs, Nixie turns her eyes towards the terrified Lydia. And honestly, it looks as though Lydia is about pass out. Gripping her shoulders, forcing Lydia to meet her own gaze, Nixie simply stares back into her eyes for a moment.

Jordan has no idea how she does it. Nixie doesn't speak. She doesn't move. For all intents and purposes, she does nothing, except stand there staring at Lydia. But sure enough, Lydia is slowly able to let out a slow and shaky breath of air. Then she does it again. And then again. Finally, Nixie nods and says, "Keep breathing. Walk with me."

Nixie glances up at Jordan and says, "I've got her." Then she leads Lydia out of the room, while Jordan watches after them for a second before getting on the radio to report what they've found.

Outside the house, Nixie sets Lydia down on the front stairs. As she begins gasping and struggling to breathe again, Nixie says, "Hey, it's alright, Lydia. Focus on me. Focus on my voice. Drown the rest of it out for now. Focus on me. Just me."

As Jordan makes his way back out of the house, he looks down at them. And he could feel the certainty in her words when Nixie says, "I have you, Lydia. Understand? I've got you." Lydia nods shakily, clinging to Nixie. Sighing, Lydia says, "And so long as you can help it, nothing's gonna happen to me." "Damn straight."

Nixie would really love for them to be able to get out of here already. She'd love to get Lydia somewhere safe and warm. She needs to warn Scott that Sean, and maybe his entire family, were apparently murderers themselves.

No. Worse than murderers. Cannibals.

But they can't leave yet. As other cops roll in to reprocess the scene, another asking them questions about what they'd seen, Nixie can't even manage to get out her phone to call anybody about this.

When Natalie Martin finally pulls up at the house, hand over her mouth in worry about what her daughter had found, she immediately helps Nixie get Lydia into the car. Glaring at the next officer that tries to approach Lydia, sending him immediately heading in the other direction, Nixie says to Natalie, "She needs rest." Natalie nods, and then to Nixie's surprise, wraps her up in a tight hug. Sighing, Natalie says, "I don't know how she ends up always finding these places. I don't know why she always ends up here or how she finds these… these… things. But thank you, Nixie. Thank you for always finding her."

Hugging Natalie back, Nixie says, "Of course." Then, as Natalie prepares to leave, Nixie bends down closer to Lydia. Gently squeezing Lydia's shoulder, who has definitely calmed down considerably since this started, Nixie says, "Try to call Scott and Stiles. Someone needs to tell them." "You aren't?" "I am. But I have to be away from these guys first. Just… both of us need to try. As soon as we can." Lydia nods and says, "I'm on it. And Nixie… thank you." "Lydia, of course. Get some rest as soon as you can."

Nixie watches after them as they drive away, and then glances back at the house.

Cannibals. People who ate people. People who fed on human flesh. Nixie could handle all sorts of pain. She could take on alpha packs and deranged hunters, and she'd even take on berserkers and Kate, who was apparently a were-jaguar.

But cannibals? The idea… the thought of it…

Nixie realizes with annoying clarity that she's about to be sick. So regardless of any other cops that might be trying to talk to her, Nixie powerwalks away from the scene and down the street. Her stomach was churning in disgust and horror. She felt truly ill.

She manages to keep it together until she rounds the next corner on the street, and then drops to her knees by a ditch. And whatever lunch she'd eaten, which she honestly can't remember… she throws back up onto the ground below. Hands clutching her stomach, she gasps in a breath and then hurls again.

Sitting there, staying very still, trying to avoid another episode of puking, she jumps when she feels hands suddenly drawing her hair back from her face. Her stomach twists again as she tries to stand and get away, but then she hears Jordan's voice say gently, "It's alright. Just calm down now. I've got you. Take it easy."

She throws up again into the ditch, and then gasps in a breath of air. Wincing at the terrible aftertaste in her mouth, she lets out a moan of disgust.

Hands are still holding her hair, fingers moving in gentle circles against her head to soothe her. Glancing over at Jordan, who is bent down next to her left side, she says, "You can go now." Jordan looks briefly offended, but then stares at her in surprise when she says, "I look hideous. No need for you to stay. I'm fine." "Nixie, don't be ridiculous."

She gives him a look and says, "I'm serious." "So am I." Brushing more hair from her face, Jordan smiles gently and says, "See? Still beautiful as ever." Nixie's eyes snap up to his face, and though there is a slight blush to his cheeks now, Jordan makes no move to take back what he said. Instead, he tenderly strokes her temple with his thumb before asking, "You wanna try standing again?"

Nodding, Nixie lets him help her to her feet. Then, after a moment of wondering if she'd just fall down again, she nods that she's fine and sighs in relief. Jordan reaches into his front shirt pocket for a handkerchief and hands it over to her. Taking it, nodding her appreciation, Nixie wipes at her mouth and cringes again at the aftertaste left behind.

Sighing, Nixie then says, "This is so stupid." Jordan can't help it. He chuckles at her. At her slightly peeved look, he holds his hands up in surrender and asks, "What's so stupid at this point?" "Me. Throwing up right now." "We were just in a room full of dead corpses. I'm surprised you didn't throw up sooner." "Exactly. Which is what is so stupid."

When Jordan gives her a confused look, she huffs and says, "If I was going to be sick, it should've been right away. Not forty minutes later, after I've had time to get over what I just saw." Jordan smiles gently at her, and then says, "Perhaps. But I wouldn't call it stupid." "Then what would you call it?" "Prioritizing. Which, you seem to always be able to do, no matter what."

Now Nixie is the one that's confused, so Jordan says, "Your friends come first. Always. And up until a few minutes ago, Lydia needed you to be her rock. So you became that for her." Shrugging, he adds, "Now she's gone, and you get to fall apart, just a little bit." "I did not fall apart."

Jordan tilts his head slightly, but then says, "No, I suppose you didn't. But you did finally let yourself go a little bit. You let everything finally sink in." Nixie stares at him for a moment, and then smiles ever so slightly before wiping at her mouth again. Jordan's eyes take inventory of everything about her at this point. She was standing on her own two feet, but she still looked shaky, despite the determined look in her eyes. And her skin, which was usually an even Caucasian color, was now exceptionally pale compared to normal.

Sighing, Nixie turns to look at him again, watching his eyes roam over her in concern. Grinning a bit, she asks, "Do I pass inspection?" Jordan finally stops his gaze so it stays steady with hers. He smiles gently, but then shakes his head honestly and says, "No, if you want the truth." "Well, the truth is always preferred, even if it's not exactly to my liking. I'm fine." "You're pale." "It'll pass. I just threw up most of my lunch and breakfast. I just need to eat and I'll be fine."

Jordan gives her a look for a moment, but then says, "You're probably right. But I can't leave you here like this. Let me drive you back to the station." "I can't leave my bike here." "Where is it?" "Back of the house." "I'll have someone bring it to the station." "Parrish, I need to…"

But he takes a step closer to her and says, "Nixie, please don't make me threaten to arrest you. Technically, you did still break into a crime scene." Her eyes widen slightly, and she leans back from him. Jordan doesn't miss the distinctly hurt look in her eyes, but her tone is still attempting to be light when she says, "You wouldn't."

They stare at each other for a moment, and then Jordan concedes, "No. No, I wouldn't." He feels relief when she relaxes again, and then he says, "But I can't let you drive right now." "But…" "Nixie, please trust me on this. You need to take a minute, take a breath, and just let yourself be 'not okay' right now. Even if it's just for five minutes. Even if it's just long enough for me to drive you to the station."

Nixie's deep blue eyes meet his hazel ones for a moment more after that, and then Jordan feels a slight sense of triumph when she nods and says, "Fine. But if anyone messes up my bike…" "I'm sure the sheriff will see to it that they make the repairs personally." Grinning, she lets him walk her back to his cruiser. He opens the door for her and then shuts it gently behind her when she's settled inside.

On their way to the station, Jordan asks, "So… why were you looking for Lydia?" "She missed a class that we share together. After that, I didn't see her anymore today. So I figured it was time to try and find her." Nodding, Jordan then asks, "But why?" "What do you mean, why?" "Why would you need to find her? What if she'd been with someone?"

Nixie glances at him, eyes slightly narrowed, but no real heat behind them. He was fishing a little; that was obvious. But she couldn't really blame him. Given what had just happened, Nixie knows that the only reason no one else was asking more questions was because Nixie had glared at them when they'd tried.

Jordan was the only one who seemed, at least part of the time, to be immune to her glare. In fact, he might be completely immune, and just picks and chooses which times he's going to argue, and which times he's going to give in. Hard to say.

And given that he could've just as well arrested her and Lydia for trespassing… Nixie decides to at least give him a little something. What can she say? She likes him. And besides, he already thinks Lydia is psychic.

Raising an eyebrow, Nixie says, "First of all, Lydia knows the rule. If I'm calling her, she needs to answer. I don't care how indisposed she happens to be, or who she's with. She answers. Or, I'm coming to find her. We've discussed this. She knows better.

Jordan actually chuckles at that, but then straightens up when Nixie asks seriously, "And… you realize she's always showing up at these crime scenes, right? With the dead bodies, and the blood, and the carnage, and… well, everything." He nods in answer, and then turns to look at her when Nixie simply says, "She should never have to stand there and see all of that alone. And if I can help it, she never will again."

Nodding again, Jordan then says gently, "You're a good friend." "Well, I do try, you know." Grinning, he says, "I'm pretty sure your friends think you're the definition of what 'good friend' means." "Don't exaggerate, Parrish." "I'm not."

They look at each other, and then Nixie laughs softly before leaning her head back against the seat. And she laughs again when Jordan asks, "By the way… how on earth do you know how to track other peoples' cell phones? I'm pretty sure you need a lot more personal information than most people would have access to." Turning her head to see him, Nixie says, "Ah, my dear deputy. I am going to have to insist that, that bit of information, is entirely confidential."

Closing her eyes, she says gently, "But suffice it to say, a friend from school knows about these things, and showed me enough so I can always find the people I need to find, when I need to find them." Nodding, Jordan asks, "And on a regular basis, how often do you need to find them?" "Depends. Does it feel like the world is about to end today?"

He gives her a look, but grins all the same and says, "No." "Then this one time today will probably suffice for… maybe the remainder of the week. Hard to say though. Tomorrow, we might feel like the apocalypse is upon us. In which case, I'm probably gonna run out of gas trying to find all my people." Jordan shakes his head gently and says, "Heaven forbid."

Her burst of laughter makes him smile, and then they sit in comfortable silence the rest of the ride to the station.

Nixie's not going to lie. She enjoys being around him. She really does. It's why, even though there hadn't been any crises over the summer, she'd still spent an exorbitant amount of time at the station. And if she admits it… more than her usual time there.

But right now, while sitting in the station on the couch next to his desk… she does wish Jordan Parrish would leave her alone. Just for about three minutes. She's sure that, by now at least, Lydia had informed Scot of the cannibal that's in the hospital. Consequently, the same place Melissa is. But to be safe, Nixie would still really like to take the time to call him and make sure that Scott, his mom, and anyone else that might have gone near the cannibal, is okay.

It has to wait though. And much as she'd rather it not wait… she's honestly glad that Jordan comes back as fast as he did. He'd gone to get her a cup of coffee, leaving her to put the final touches on her statement before he'd release her to go home.

That's when Haigh spotted her. The man had a very odd sort of love and hate relationship for Nixie. One that seemed to continuously flip back and forth in his mind. He'd called her heartless last year when she'd been strong during Alison's death. But following that incident, she found that if she did get pulled over anymore for speeding, Haigh was the one pulling her over. Taking way too long to give her a ticket, getting way too close into her personal bubble. It didn't matter how many times she scared him off after he finally pushed too far… he always tried to do it again the next time.

The man has a death wish. That's what Nixie has decided. And she's quite certain that, if he'd actually made it to her today, she would've probably tried to actually choke him to death.

He was two desks back still, smirking as he made his way closer, when Jordan came back in. The man, quite honestly, could sometimes appear out of nowhere. And looking at his face, you wouldn't think Jordan had a care in the world. You certainly wouldn't think that his placing the coffee directly in Nixie's hand, was a sign of anything, other than the fact that he wanted her to drink it.

But when he looked back at Haigh, Nixie didn't miss how the other deputy suddenly paused, and then backtracked to his own desk. When Jordan turns back around to her, he takes her statement from her to look over it one last time himself. He pauses though when Nixie say gently, "Thanks, Parrish."

Smiling up at her, he says, "Just remember. I would hate to have to arrest you for assaulting an officer." "Well, then it's good you made it so I don't have to. Otherwise, it would've been a long night for both of us." Chuckling, Jordan looks over her statement one final time, and then nods and says, "Everything looks good."

Back up to her, he looks her over for a moment, and then nods and adds, "And so do you." "Gee, thanks." "You know what I mean." Laughing, Nixie nods, and then asks, "So… I'm good to go home?" "Yeah. Your bike's outside."

He walks her out to her bike, which she walks around once to make sure it's still in the same condition it was when she left it. Nodding, she says, "Thanks." "Anytime, Nixie." She lifts her gaze up to his at that, and then smiles. It was such a simple thing to say, really. To others, it might not mean much. And if Jordan said it to anyone else… he probably didn't mean it the same way.

But Nixie… she could somehow feel it. He meant it. From him, 'anytime, Nixie', meant exactly that. If she needed him again, he would come. He didn't promise not to argue with her. He didn't promise to agree with her, altogether. But… it was a promise to be there, if she needed him.

It made her heart swell in a way that Nixie didn't recognize. Yeah, she was definitely going to have to look into this more later.

* * *

First thing Nixie had done when she got onto the road, was call Scott. And yes, Lydia had already managed to contact him.

As Scott relays the story of what happened at the hospital… how Sean Walcott had attacked Melissa, and then how Scott had chased him to the roof. And then how an ax wielding, mouthless man, had killed Sean and then just… walked off.

Rubbing at her temple as she hops off her bike in the parking lot, Nixie says, "Alright. Just… tell me you're okay. And Melissa? You're both okay?" Scott nods and says, "Yeah. Yeah, we're fine. We're good. Both of us are totally okay. Yep. Everything is okay."

Nixie pauses for a moment, narrowing her eyes. In spite of the fact that the cannibal was now dead… Scott sounded edgy still. "Scott? Are you sure everything's alright?"

Scott closes his eyes for a moment, trying to decide how to tell her what else happened. But he can't. Not yet. He… he's not sure how exactly you go about explaining that there was no other choice. He had to bite Liam in order to save him and keep him alive. And now… either the kid was going to die, or he was going to turn into a werewolf.

And Liam had no choice in the matter. Scott knows that he and Nixie always agreed on that point. Being a werewolf, if you weren't already born this way… it should be your own choice. And he'd taken that from Liam. He'd had no choice himself. It was either that, or Liam would've died. But… he'd still stolen Liam's humanity away. Or his life… if he didn't survive the bite in the first place.

No… no, he's not ready to explain that to her yet. So he nods and says, "Everything's fine Nixie. I'm just… glad you found Lydia when you did. I can't imagine what I'd have done if I'd found that freezer all by myself." Nodding, Nixie says, "Yeah, well, that actually makes two of us for once."

When Nixie hangs up, she sighs and prepares to go to bed for the night. There was really nothing else to do at this point. She'd have to figure out with Stiles, tomorrow, where exactly they were going to start on this hunt for a mouthless, ax wielding, murderer. And until then, she needed to sleep.

She's about to lay down, when a pounding comes on her door. Frowning and looking out the peep hole, she rolls her eyes before opening it to reveal the landlord standing there. In all his pudginess and false sense of authority, arms crossed as he looks at her, he asks, "You got my note?" "Yep." "Then you know the insurance thing doesn't cover the rent anymore." "Obviously."

He narrows his eyes at her, but they have no effect on Nixie. She lost all respect for the man a long time ago. In fact, it takes her a moment to realize that she does actually know his name. It's Marcus. But she doesn't know his last name. Hence her never actually calling him by name. She didn't like him. Not one bit.

Leaning closer, still stern, he says, "End of the week, next month's rent is due." "I'm aware of how it works." "Cash up front, or you'll have to get out of the room." Nixie tilts her head and says, "Again. I am well aware of how it works." He glares at her again and says, "Just because you're supposed to be my ward, don't think I won't kick you out." Laughing, Nixie says, "I have also always been aware that, when the money stopped, you would no longer welcome me here. Why my mother thought you would react any differently is beyond me. But… I'm sure she had a lot of other things on her mind at the time."

Yeah. Like the fact that she was losing her mind. Yeah, that might've been a little distracting.

Shrugging, Nixie says, "End of the week is three days away. So, until then, leave me the hell alone." He narrows his eyes at her again… but can't really argue. Technically, she still had three paid days left in the room. Then she'd need to pay him.

Which, as he finally leaves her alone, she knows she won't be able to do. She'd managed to work in a couple of days recently at the diner that let her come in whenever she wanted… but nowhere near enough to pay the rent that would be due.

Her plan B was going to have to be put into effect. Not that she minded. It's not like the apartment held anything that really mattered to her anyway. Not anymore.

Still, as Nixie finally manages to fall asleep tonight, there's the distinct sound of rain falling on the roof. A sound that eventually managed to lull her to sleep.

* * *

Lydia wakes up in the middle of the night. No real reason behind it, and no banshee premonition behind it either. She just needs a glass of water. After she'd called Scott and after she'd figured out that he ended up okay, she'd gone immediately to bed.

She's getting a glass of water from her bathroom sink, when she looks at herself in the mirror and smiles. She was still wearing Nixie's jacket. She hadn't taken it off since Nixie had told her to put it on. Lydia couldn't explain it exactly… but wearing it made her feel that much safer. Like she somehow had a layer of pure Nixie wrapped around her, even though Nixie wasn't here herself.

Taking it off now, planning to hang it up outside the door, she pauses for a moment and then brings it back under the light.

Lydia was the fashion connoisseur, if ever there was one. She could spot which designer you were wearing from across the hall. Now, Nixie's jacket was not made by any designer that Lydia knew of. She knows Alison and Chris had it specially made for Nixie by a professional of leather designs. And the coat was a durable, and yet flexible, leather material.

Which meant it took a lot to break through the barrier of fabric. At least… to the normal and general public, it took a lot. But in the realm of supernatural disasters that they seemed to constantly get pulled into… well, Lydia wouldn't be surprised that some creature could manage to cut into the jacket.

The more shocking part for Lydia was that someone obviously had. There were patch jobs in a series of places on the coat. Good patch jobs, but not professional. Lydia could spot the slightly different color in the fabric, where the newer material was used for the patch while the rest of the older material was kept and stitched around it.

As Lydia continues to inspect the jacket, finding all the places where a claw, a blade, or something had gone through, she gasps as it finally hits her that, if something had gone through the jacket; then something had also gone through Nixie. And to Lydia's knowledge, Nixie had never told them about any injuries. In fact… Nixie was the only one who seemed to never get severely hurt.

But as that thought goes through Lydia's mind, she immediately closes her eyes and curses herself for the stupidity behind it. Nixie was the fiercest of them when it came to fighting… at least when it meant protecting the people that mattered to her. Which meant that, out of all of them, Nixie was the most likely… hell, she was the most probable for being the one to receive injuries.

Werewolves healed. When they got hurt, people were concerned for a time, but eventually they let it go, because werewolves healed and there was no trace left behind. But Nixie… Nixie was not a werewolf. And if she'd been hurt; that meant there had to have been stitches, bandages, gauze, blood, and a considerably longer recovery period.

As Lydia thinks about it more, she realizes that, whenever Nixie isn't wearing the jacket, she's taken to wearing slightly longer sleeves. Her tank tops had never been skimpy in the first place, but she rarely ever just wore a tank top anymore. Which no one really thought about as meaning something, because Nixie did not care about fashion. She dressed nicely, but she also dressed for comfort and mobility. Jeans, nice t-shirts, those were her style. Any other fashionable clothes she wore were because Lydia managed to find something she actually liked that looked nicer, or because Lydia insisted she wear something a little nicer, and Nixie finally caved.

Bottom line… hiding her injuries from them, would be an easy thing for Nixie to do. And as Lydia thinks about it more and more… she realizes that it is, incredibly so, a very 'Nixie' thing to do. Her focus was always on them. Always. And if she could help it, she never let their attention remain on her any longer than she felt was necessary. So yes, Nixie hiding injuries from them was, in actuality, an obvious thing.

Which is why Lydia feels so incredibly stupid for not having seen or thought of it before. Nixie was her best friend. Nixie had been Lydia's first real friend. Even when Lydia had been fake and false, Nixie had seen what she could be inside, and had liked it enough to make Lydia her friend.

And Nixie was in pain. Or, at the very least, she had been in pain. And Lydia had never known. Never suspected. Not until now.

Clutching the material tighter in her hands, a tear falling from her eye and onto the black leather, Lydia asks softly, "Oh Nixie. What have you been doing?"

* * *

Chapter 3! Yay! Hope you're enjoying this rendition of it so far.

And also, I think I forgot to mention this sooner, but if you see any mistakes in the writing that I somehow missed, please let me know. Or you know, you don't have to, obviously. But if it bothers you as much as it would bother me, let me know, and I will work on fixing it as soon as possible.

Thank you so much for reading! :)


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: "I do not own Teen Wolf. The show, the characters, and any quotes from the show belong to Jeff Davis and his amazing team of writers. I only own Nixie, and anything I make her do or say."

On a side note, I believe I mentioned this when I first wrote for Season 4, and I just want to restate. I'm not an expert in legal practices or the government system. As far as Nixie goes and the situation she ends up in, I have no idea how realistic my version might actually be. But again, since Isaac spent the majority of season 2 and season 3 living in other peoples' homes, without his actual guardians... I'm hoping you'll have some leeway in that department for Nixie.

Also, as far as the numbers for each person on the dead pool. You'll probably notice that I changed several amounts. That has to do with how much I end up making Nixie worth, once you get to that part. And because I still wanted the total amount to balance out at 117 million, other numbers had to change. So, just an FYI, that's why that happened. :)

Okay, I think that's all I wanted to say. Oh, and to warn you that this chapter is long. Like, compared to before, it's exceptionally longer than it used to be. But I like it a lot better. Hope you do to. :)

Alright. Sorry for the interruption. Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 4: Episode 4x4

Jordan feels very confused at this point. Here he is, standing on the roof of the hospital with the rest of the officers. Sean Walcott, the only survivor of his family, now dead. Why the boy had even come up here was a mystery in itself, but that's not what has Jordan confused right now.

What confuses him, is that he has the strange desire to call Nixie? Not that he could. He didn't have her number. But he felt like this was something she should know, considering she had been one of the people who had first discovered he was a cannibal. And… he couldn't help but feel like she, already, had more insight into this than he did. And considering he was the cop and she was supposed to be the high school student… he had half a mind to go find her and question what she knew about it… almost to the point of demanding answers from her.

He knows that's not smart though. Nixie was a lot of things, and as far as he could tell, all of them were good. But one thing she definitely wasn't? Easily intimidated. He'd wager you could point a gun to her head and she wouldn't even flinch. The girl had taken on ninjas for Pete's sake, and had done so as if she'd trained for it her whole life.

That in itself, was just another thing that made him feel like this was probably something she knew more about than he did right now. Sighing as he looks over the body and the rest of the roof for evidence, he pauses in his investigating when Noah walks up to him.

The sheriff says, "Let's get everyone off the roof now. And see if you can stall the M.E. for five minutes. I've got an expert of my own coming to take a look." Jordan stares at him in disbelief and asks, "You have an expert on teenage cannibals?" Noah gives him a look, and then says, "Just… five minutes, Parrish." Sighing, Jordan motions for everyone else to go ahead and step off the roof.

Glancing back for a moment, Jordan realizes it's not just Nixie and her friends that definitely know more about this than everyone else. Noah did too. And why everyone else was satisfied to remain in the dark, was beyond his understanding. But one thing he definitely knew for certain, was that he was not. He'd have to bide his time, he knew that much. Young as they all were for the most part, Jordan had already seen plenty enough to know that they were careful with who they spoke to about certain things and which questions they asked and even which questions they answered.

But eventually… he'd show them he could be trusted. He'd show Nixie that he could be trusted. And somehow, making her see it, is really the biggest thing he finds himself concerned with, as he finally steps back inside the building.

Noah sighs once everyone is gone, and then turns and jumps a little in surprise when Derek is already standing there, looking down at the body. Sighing, Noah says, "I guess you've been there long enough to hear that we need to be quick about this. Scott said this kid called himself a wendigo." Nodding, Derek confirms, "Cannibalistic shape-shifter. But… I haven't heard of them in Beacon Hills for a long time. They must've been well-hidden."

As Derek continues looking around, trusting his senses to guide him, he frowns and asks, "How many people did Scott say were up here?" Noah sighs, "Just Sean, and the axe murderer… who apparently has no mouth. You wouldn't be able to explain anything about that, would you?"

But Derek is only half listening, because he knows that's not true. Aside from Scott and the other two that Noah just mentioned… there was another. He can see the blood smear on the side of the building as he looks. Shaking his head, Derek says, "There was someone else. Someone young. And male." Noah asks curiously, "You can smell his fear?" Derek nods, but adds, "And his blood."

Noah watches as Derek pulls out his phone, and then asks, "You calling Scott?" "No. If Scott didn't mention it the first time, I doubt he's going to mention it to either of us now. I'm calling someone who can definitely get the bottom of it." "And who's that?" Derek grins slightly, and then says, "Nixie."

He walks with Noah to the side of the roof, and before he calls, he motions to the door that the other officers left through, and says, "He's going to catch on you know. In fact, I think he already is." "Who?" Derek gives Noah a look and says, "Your second in command. Parrish." "Why him?" "Because he's smart." "And why do you think that?"

Derek sighs and says, "Because Nixie says he is. And he's not overlooking the things that most people do so they don't have to try and understand things that are sometimes too difficult to believe. He's digging, and he pays even closer attention to the unusual things that keep going on in this town. Like how Lydia, and Nixie by consequence, keep showing up and crime scenes. Or how Scott, Stiles, and Nixie can always be found at the station, somehow involved in all of the strange and bizarre cases, somehow."

Noah leans back against the wall next to him, and then sighs, "For now, he stays in the dark. And if someone does bring him in, it won't be me that does it first. I'm still relatively new, to all of this. And aside from Stiles telling me that Nixie's sixth sense is a good thing to judge by, I don't have a clue how I'm supposed to determine who we can trust with all of this."

Derek nods in understanding, "Give it time, sheriff. It gets easier."

* * *

Nixie picks up on the fourth ring and answers, "Yep." "You were asleep, weren't you?" Raising an eyebrow at Derek's question, Nixie says, "It's one in the morning… consequently, a morning when I thought I wouldn't need to still be awake. So yes, I was quite obviously, asleep." "And now you're cranky."

Derek smiles when Nixie laughs on the other end before she says, "I am not cranky. I will have you know that 'crank' is not an emotion that I possess in the entirety of my personality." "Right. How could I forget?" "I don't know. In my opinion, it's pretty standard information."

Derek chuckles, but then asks, "Did Scott tell you about earlier tonight?" "Yeah. Cannibal dead. Ax murderer still on the loose. Bad things are happening in Beacon Hills again. Shocking stuff." "A wendigo is dead, if you want the technical term." Nixie blinks, and then says, "Let me get this straight. He was a supernatural cannibal? That's a thing? We have those?" "Yes, Nixie." "Great. And next, someone's going to tell me that mermaids are actually real as well. Are there fairies, too? Because that one might actually be interesting." "Alright, tone down the sarcasm a bit." "Can't. Ironically enough, the more tired I am, the more sarcasm comes out of me."

She takes a breath and then says, "But I will try to wake up a little more for your benefit. What do you need?" "Did Scott tell you that someone else was up here?" "Who do you mean? Based on his story, I count three if I include Scott and the two others." "Yeah. And that's the story he gave Noah too. But… he's leaving something out."

Sitting up in bed, slipping on shoes, Nixie asks, "Leaving what out?" "Someone else was up here Nixie. Someone who was terrified, and someone who ended up bleeding. I wish I could give you more than that." "No, that's fine Derek. Thanks." "Sure. What are you going to do now?" "Go and slap Scott in the back of the head for not giving me all the information. Seriously. Everyone needs to just stop withholding things from me. As the one person who always demands all the information, I think I'm entitled at times, for you guys to actually listen."

Derek nods and says, "Go easy on him Nix. I can smell his anxiety up here too." "Noted."

As soon as she hangs up, she prepares to head out of the apartment. But then, she pauses and turns back to look at it. And… well, there's no time like the present. She already knew she'd have to leave. Might as well do it now.

Walking back to her bed, grabbing two bags from beneath it, she begins shoving her stuff in there. It wasn't much, to be honest. The majority of her belongings were still scattered between everyone else's houses. Scott, Stiles, and Lydia all had drawers that held a selection of her clothes. Even Kira had cleared out some space for her to keep some things if she wanted. And it had actually given Kira a further sense of belonging when Nixie filled it with a couple shirts and some jeans almost a day after Kira had made the room.

Bottom line though, it meant that packing up her personal belongings from the apartment was easy and quick. She packs up her boots and the other pair of shoes she owns, and then shoves the clothes she does have here in the bag on top of them. Then she goes to the bathroom and packs up everything from in there in the other bag. She also takes all of her protein bars and some canned food from the cupboards before zipping up both bags. As for her laptop and other school books, she crams it all into her normal shoulder bag. The laptop, apart from her smartphone, was the only piece of electronics that Nixie hadn't sold. She'd thought about it once… but in the end, she needs it for school.

At her door, she glances back at the apartment one last time. She'd expected to feel… well, something. It had been her house for quite some time.

But house or not… it had always been an empty place. The times when Isaac and even Malia had stayed with her, were the only times she'd ever actually enjoyed being here. And for that reason, she feels no sorrow or sense of loss as she steps out the door, locks it, and then removes those keys from her key chain.

Marcus was still up in his office, watching something on his computer. He jumps when Nixie bangs on the window, and then dangles the keys for him to see before dropping them on the counter and heading for her bike. Throwing one leg over, cranking the engine, she glances back when he comes out and asks, "What? That's it? You're not even going to argue about it? Not going to see if we can make some kind of deal?"

Nixie glares at the man and says, "First of all, there's no price you can give that I can meet. I don't have the time or money to make it happen. And second… there's no deal you can work out that I would ever even dream of saying yes to." Revving the engine again, she tips her fingers to her forehead and then at him in a 'goodbye' gesture, and then takes off out of the parking lot.

It doesn't take her long to find her next destination. She'll need to get to Scott's house afterwards, and she needs to do it quickly. But she also can't show up at his house with all of her stuff along with her. He'd know something was up if she did that. So… to the shack first.

She'd found it back when she'd been mapping out the woods so they could better track and find Malia when she was a coyote. And honestly… finding it had been the thing that finally made her plan a possibility. She'd always had a plan to leave before Marcus could ever kick her out, or otherwise. But she'd never been sure where she would go, until she found this place.

Down an abandoned and nearly invisible dirt road, hidden deep within the trees, brush, and wildlife of the preserve, was an old rundown shack. From the looks of it, the building had been abandoned an exceptionally long time ago. It's overgrown with plants, vines, and weeds. And that's just the outside. As Nixie rams her way into the stuck front door, she enters into a room filled with cobwebs, dust, dirt, and funk in every corner.

The main room was the living room, or den, with an old fireplace that hadn't been used in ages. To the side, there is what had once been a kitchen/dining room. There's an old, fenced in patio at the back of this place, and there is an old and rickety set of stairs that leads into what Nixie assumes is either a very small bed space, or just an attic. Whatever else this place might've been, it most certainly hadn't been built for more than one person.

But Nixie didn't need it to hold more than one. She just needed it to hold her until she could figure this out. At most, she needed it until she turned eighteen. After that, she wouldn't have to worry about Noah performing his duty as a cop and turning her over to child-services, or something equally terrible. She knows she doesn't have to worry about Marcus reporting her gone. If he did that, he'd probably lose the meager hold he had on his guardianship of her, and whatever small sum of money he still got paid to supposedly, 'take care of her'.

Nixie removes the old coach from the den area, which is the only piece of furniture in this room. She shoves it into the vacant dining area of the kitchen. Though the kitchen was still furnished, she didn't actually expect any of the old appliances to work. So she wouldn't need that room. And she didn't care how many times she managed to clean it… she was not about to try and sleep on that sofa.

From the kitchen, she finds an old broom. Sweeping out the den, she chucks the dirt and dust out the front door and down the two small steps there. And for now, that would have to suffice. She grabs her stuff and drops it on the floor by the fireplace, and then heads back out to her bike.

No more time to waste. Scott has some serious explaining to do.

* * *

Scott has just asked, "So… what are we going to do?"

Then both he and Stiles jerk when Nixie says, "First, you're going to explain why you didn't actually give me all the information about what happened tonight." She gives Scott a look that has him ducking his head slightly, while Stiles looks at her in bafflement as he asks, "How the hell did you find out?" "Good question, considering the answer should be because one of you told me!"

Sighing, she says, "I don't actually know much. Just that Scott didn't tell me everything. So… what did you leave out?" Scott lifts his head and is about to answer wearily, when they all hear the muffled exclamations coming from his bathroom. Nixie's eyes snap in that direction, and then back to her boys as she asks, "What… in the hell… did you do?"

Scott doesn't try to stop her as she marches into the room. And upon pulling back the curtain, Nixie stares down in complete bewilderment. Because there is the new freshmen. Liam Dunbar.

Duck-taped and held hostage in Scott's bathtub. A hostage. Scott kidnapped Liam.

Liam stares up at her for a moment, and for reasons he doesn't even understand, he feels a little sense of peace settle over him. He still didn't have a clue what was going on, or what was going to happen… but somehow, Nixie being in front of him, made things a little better.

Nixie, on the other hand, is still staring down at him with a mixture of what looks like rage and astonishment. Then she says softly, "Scott… get in here." He comes, and then sighs and says, "Look, I…" Liam, from his position of lying down in the tub, jumps in surprise too when Nixie swiftly slaps Scott upside the head.

Sighing, having expected nothing less at this point, Scott asks, "Satisfied?" "No. What, the actual, hell?! You kidnapped him?!" Scott glances over at Liam, and then leans closer and says quietly, "I bit him!"

Nixie stares at him a moment more, and then pinches the bridge of her nose. Gesturing out towards his bedroom, she says, "Go. Just… give me a minute."

After he's gone, Nixie looks back down at Liam. He says something in a muffled reply, and as she makes to leave, he squirms more urgently, and she can tell he's pleading for her to not leave him here. Coming back for a moment, she says, "Liam… I know this seems like a ridiculous thing to ask right now. But I need you to calm down, and give me a minute. Just do that for me. I'll be back."

Back in Scott's room, Nixie stands in front of both of them, Stiles and Scott siting down on the end of the bed again. Shaking her head in annoyance, Nixie finally says, "You're both incredibly lucky that I love you. I hope you both know that." Scott nods, and then stands up and wraps an arm around her. Kissing the top of her head, he says, "I'm sorry. It's just… you'd already had a bit of a day. And I didn't want to…" "Yeah, yeah, alright."

She hugs him back though, and then he sits back down and Nixie says, "After I left the school. Tell me what happened."

Scott and Stiles give her an account of what had taken place. How they'd either broken or sprained Liam's ankle or knee at practice. How they'd taken him to the hospital. Stiles had then gone back to help Malia study math, which reminds him… "We need to talk to Lydia in the morning about the notes she gave Malia. Because those… those aren't notes. But I didn't want to bug her about it tonight… seeing how she located a house full of dead human carcasses that were carefully preserved in a meat locker."

Nixie nods at that and says, "Fine. Then what?" Scott explains that after that, he was still at the hospital when Lydia had called about Sean, and after rescuing Melissa, he'd chased Sean up onto the roof. That's where things had gotten really complicated. Sean had taken Liam hostage, and after struggling with him, Liam had been nearly tossed off the roof.

Scott had been trying to pull him back up, when Sean had grabbed him and twisted his arms behind his back. And as Liam had continued to slip from the side of the roof, Scott had done the only other thing he could do. He'd bit Liam on his left forearm in order to prevent him from falling to his death.

Then Scott had panicked and… yes… he'd kidnapped Liam and brought him to his own house until he could figure out what to do.

For a moment after that, Nixie paces in front of them and says nothing. But after a moment, she pauses and turns to Scott. Bending down in front of him, she says, "Let's start with something simple first. Yeah? Like, I'm proud of you." Scott smiles gently down at her and kisses the top of her head again. Sighing, he says, "Thanks." "Of course. And I know this is about to get really complicated… but you did what you had to do Scott. You did a good thing. Know that. Alright?"

He nods, and then Nixie stands back up and says, "Now… you obviously should not have wrapped him in duck-tape and chucked him in the bathtub. Duck-tape fixes many things… but this is not one of the things it can fix." Scott nods, and then Stiles lifts a hand and says, "I suggested dumping his body in the desert. We could…"

At Liam's muffled scream of fear, Nixie fixes Stiles with a hard stare and says, "We are not hurting Liam." Stiles huffs and asks, "Why not?" "Because I like Liam. And as of yet, I don't see anything really wrong with him. And the only reason you don't like him is because he's better at lacrosse than both of you."

Liam looks up when she marches back into the bathroom. And even though he's tied up in a tub, she fixes him with an annoyed look and says, "And I told you to take it easy. What part of that did you not hear? Hmm?" Rolling her eyes in annoyance, she then returns to her boys and says, "We're not hurting him." Scott nods in agreement, though Stiles says, "I still think…" Nixie gives him a look and says, "Currently, I'm still not thinking about slapping you in the back of the head. If you want to keep it that way, stop it. Now."

He lifts his hands in surrender, and then says, "Well, if we're not getting rid of him, then we need to talk to him. Scott, let's get him out here."

They sit him down in a chair in the middle of the room. And while Scott and Stiles debate with each other about whether pulling off any of the tape is a good idea, Nixie moves in front of Liam. Bending down, she says, "I know that it seems a cruel thing to say at this point. With all you've been through tonight. But… if I pull the tape off your mouth. I need you to promise me that you're not going to yell or scream. You're just going to use your normal, inside voice."

He stares down at her for a moment, but then nods in understanding. So Nixie reaches forward and gently pulls it off his mouth. He winces a little, to which Nixie says, "Sorry. Scott must've used a new roll."

As soon as it's finally off, Liam takes a deep breath of relief. And though he didn't, at this moment, have a problem with Nixie, his eyes instantly turned to glare when Stiles takes his turn to speak and says, "Now… Liam. You've seen a lot of confusing things tonight. And, well, more confusing things are going to happen, because of the confusing things that happened tonight. Do you understand?"

Liam gives him a look after a moment and says, "Not really." Nodding in approval, Stiles says, "Good. That's good." And then Scott comments, "I don't understand either." Stiles gives him a look, but then smiles victoriously when Nixie says, "Well, I understood, and it makes sense. But then again, I'm very fluent in the language of 'Stiles'. So… yeah."

Then she adds, "But it's not good for Liam to not understand. We want him to understand. Kind of the whole point of him sitting here and being forced to listen to us." Stiles nods, and concedes, "Yeah, I do tend to confuse other people. Even when I don't mean to sometimes." Nixie nods, and then gives Scott a little nudge. When he looks over at her, she raises an eyebrow and whispers, "You're the alpha. More importantly, you're definitely his alpha. It'll be better if it comes from you."

Nodding, Scott takes a breath, and then says, "Okay… Liam. What happened to you tonight; what I did to you… which I had to do in order to save you? It's… it's gonna change you."

And Nixie has to pinch the bridge of her nose again when Stiles immediately adds, "Unless it kills you." Throwing up her hands, giving him a look, she nods when he concedes, "Shouldn't have said that." "Yeah, no shit, Sherlock."

Liam asks softly, "What?" And then, as he continues to breathe heavily, to gasp and sniffle now… Stiles sighs and says, "Oh no. Is he… is he crying?" Nixie gives him a look and says, "If he is, it's your fault. Dumbass." Stiles gives her a look in return, but doesn't argue with her as Scott bends down in front of Liam. Gently, he tries to comfort him by saying, "Liam? It's going to be okay. You're going to be alright. And you're not going to die."

Liam just sniffles again, and then Stiles bends down and says, "Probably not." Scott turns to him with an annoyed look and says, "Stop it." But Stiles only concedes, "Okay. Possibly not."

Then his body actually leans forward as he receives a hard slap to the back of the head. Glancing back at Nixie, who shakes her head in annoyance, Stiles simply says, "Sorry." "Just shut up Stiles. Unless it's helpful, shut up." Scott nods, and then says, "Look, just help me untie him."

Nixie steps out of the room for a bit, pinching the bridge of her nose again. Now they had to deal with an ax murderer, a Kate Argent who was now a were-jaguar, and also Liam Dunbar, who was, in all likelihood, about to become a werewolf. She was still in the hall, leaning against the wall behind her, pondering how she was going to handle this current situation, when the distinct sound of a chair smashing to pieces is heard from Scott's room.

She can hear Stiles ask, "Liam, what the hell is your…" But then Stiles gets punched in the face, and Liam leaps out of the room two seconds later.

It's not lost on Nixie when he suddenly pauses, and then looks down at his left leg. The leg that had apparently been either broken or sprained earlier tonight. It had healed. Liam was already healing.

Which meant he was definitely not dying. He was turning into a werewolf.

As he makes to hurry on, he pauses about a foot from her, as though worried she would try to stop him. But as Nixie looks him over… she decides that would be a rather bad idea. Liam didn't need anyone else trying to force him to listen or to stay in one place. He needed to clear his head. He needed to know that at least one of them wasn't going to try and force their information onto him and down his throat.

So, with that in mind, Nixie shrugs and says, "I have one request." Liam walks up to her slowly, but when she doesn't move, he relaxes a bit and asks, "Yeah?" Glancing back to where she can hear Scott and Stiles scrambling, she says, "Don't turn in my boys." Liam looks like he'd argue the point, so Nixie adds, "I get that this was really bad. How Scott brought you here and how Stiles was talking about dealing with you. But Stiles… he said that more in sarcasm than anything else. Stiles just… doesn't understand that, on a rare occasion ever now and again, there is a time when sarcasm should be kept silent."

Shrugging again, Nixie says, "And as for Scott. He panicked and reacted badly. But he did save your life tonight. There's no denying that. You know that." Liam nods after a moment, and Nixie adds, "So just give me that. Don't turn my boys in. Don't tell anyone what actually happened last night."

Glancing back towards the room, she says, "And if you plan on getting out of here… I suggest you hurry. Because here they come." Sure enough, Stiles and Scott come racing out of the room, and Stiles shouts, "GET HIM!"

They all end up crashing down the stairs, Nixie wincing as she hears them fall. But after a brief struggle, in which all Stiles manages to hang onto in Scott's leg, Liam makes it out the door and into the dark of the night.

Coming down to join them, sitting on the bottom step, Nixie sighs and says, "Well… that was interesting." Stiles looks over at her and asks, "And what were you doing? Just standing there? He's…" "He's a teenage boy, who doesn't need other teenage boys kidnapping him. He's had a lot of terrifying and bizarre things happen to him tonight. What he needs is to be given a moment to try and wrap his head around some of it, before you two go about trying to explain the rest."

Standing up, offering them both a hand to help them up, Nixie says to Scott, "Give him tonight. He's not going to tell anyone about you or what he saw. So just give him tonight. Find him tomorrow at school. Try again. And hope he's not still too angry about being kidnapped. Best we've got right now, in ways of a plan."

Scott nods after a moment, and then sighs and says, "Listen, thanks for coming. I should've…" Nixie moves to hug him tight, and then says, "Yes, you should've. Because I'm awesome. Plus, my presence sort of guarantees that these things work out better than they would without me." Chuckling, Scott says, "Can't argue with that." "Exactly."

Then she hugs Stiles, and then says, "Alright. Both of you, get some sleep. I'm going home and going to bed. See you both tomorrow."

And with that, she takes off on her bike again, heading to the shack in the woods to get what little sleep she can manage.

Sliding one of her bags under her head, and finding a blanket and throwing it over her, she settles down and closes her eyes. Because tomorrow… tomorrow was looking like it was going to shape up to be a hell of a day. Not to mention the rest of the semester.

* * *

When Nixie opens her eyes the next morning, it's raining outside. Sighing as she looks out the meager window in this room, she hops up, changes, and then heads out the door. It's a shame she'd left Lydia with her leather jacket. Sure, Lydia had needed it at the time, and Nixie doesn't regret handing it over. But… even without a hood, that jacket was better suited for the rain. The zip-up hoodie she was wearing was not.

Plus, as she checks on her bike outside, she realizes that she's only got a little less than a quarter of a tank left. Her bike got excellent gas mileage, but even it didn't last forever. Which means that, though there were more important things to do, she would have to work at the diner tonight if she wanted her bike to be on standby for when she'd really need it.

It also means that she can't drive it to school this morning, or else she risks using up necessary gas that she may need to have before she can afford to refill the tank. So, in the rain and all, she makes sure her bag is tightly closed, and then takes off down the path and then up the road to get to school… on foot.

As her phone rings, she answers, "Yeah?" Stiles answers, "Hey Nix. So, I was thinking. We should, all three of us, probably approach Liam together and try to talk to him this morning." Nixie sighs and says, "That would sound good… except I think I'm gonna be a little behind this morning. How about later?" "Sure, if we can find him. But, how on earth are you the one who's running late? You're never late anywhere. You're always…"

Stiles pauses for a moment, and then asks, "Are you… outside?" "Kind of have to be to get to school." "On your bike?" "No. It's low on gas. Which, by the way, reminds me that I need to work at the diner tonight so I can refill the tank. So if this plan to persuade Liam extends into that bit of time, you're on your own for a while."

Another pause, and then Stiles asks in disbelief, "Are you running to school?! In the rain?!" "Well, I would've taken the bus… but it was running late." "Nixie… it's raining?!" Raising an eyebrow, Nixie says, "As I'm the one running in the rain, I am acutely aware of the weather conditions, Stiles." "Nixie… I could've picked you up."

Yeah. Not from where she currently was. No sir. Shaking her head, Nixie says, "And then we'd both be late. No, you need to be with Scott when he confronts Liam again. Just get there and worry about him. That is priority number one." Sighing on the other end, Stiles says, "Someone will come to get you soon." "Don't worry about me Stiles. I got this."

* * *

At the station, Noah answers his cell phone with a tiny huff of annoyance before he asks, "Stiles, what now? There have better not be anything new that happened between last night and this morning."

He'd been expecting some sort of new catastrophe to have occurred, which wouldn't have been the most surprising thing in the world. But instead, it surprised him more when Stiles simply asks, "Dad, can you go pick up Nixie?" Blinking in confusion, Noah asks, "Why? What happened to her? Is she hurt? Where is… "Whoa, dad, take it easy. She's fine. She's just… she's running low on gas, so she's running to school this morning because the bus is late." "Running? It's raining." "Yeah, which is kind of my point. So, can you…"

Noah nods and says, "I'll see what I can do. She coming down the road from her apartment?" "Yeah. Or, I assume. It'd be too much to run through the woods in the rain right now. Even for her." "Right. I'll get on it." "Thanks dad."

As Noah steps out of the office, grabbing his jacket as well, Jordan looks up and asks, "Anything I can help with Sheriff? News about Sean Walcott?" Noah shakes his head, but then pauses. He loves Nixie to death, he really does. But, he needed to be here for when the FBI came back to talk about Sean, the apparent cannibal.

And… well, Jordan was offering, and Nixie has always liked him best out of all the deputies. Turning to him, Noah says, "Actually… I do have a favor to ask. Might seem a bit unconventional though." Jordan raises an eyebrow and says, "You say that like this is the first time that's happened in this town."

Grinning a little, Noah says, "If I give you an address, think you can drive towards it and find Nixie on the way." Snapping his head up at hearing Nixie's name, Jordan frowns and says, "Sure. But why…" "She's low on gas and is, apparently, running to school this morning. In the rain. Stiles asked me to go get her, but with the FBI on their way…" Jordan nods, already having been grabbing his jacket from the back of his chair. Slipping it on, he says, "Just tell me where." "Thanks Parrish. The address is here."

He writes it down, and then Jordan nods and says, "I've got it, Sheriff." "Thanks, Parrish. You're a good man."

And as Jordan cranks up the car and pulls out of the lot, he shakes his head at himself before saying aloud, "You really are quite a mystery, Nixie Haven."

* * *

He gets about halfway down the road leading to the apartment complex that Nixie apparently lives at. That's when he spots her, a completely soaked individual, running at a well-paced sprint down the opposite side of the road. Shaking his head in disbelief, Jordan quickly makes a sharp U-turn so he can come up alongside her.

As soon as he starts catching up to her though, Nixie glances back and then darts into the woods. Blinking in utter confusion, he pulls over and hops out. Glancing into the darkness of the trees, he shouts, "Nixie!"

At the sound of his voice, Nixie pops out from behind the tree she'd hidden behind. Spotting her, Jordan rolls his eyes and says, "Get over here and in the car!" She jogs back up to him, and asks, "What are you doing here?" "Inside first."

He opens the door for her and then shuts it behind her. After he slides back behind the wheel, he cranks up the heat. Glancing at Nixie, he asks, "Are you insane?" "No. But, I will concede, that I am just this side of crazy." When he just stares at her, she shrugs and asks, "What?" "Why were you running in the rain?" "My bike is low on gas. I'm going to work a shift at the diner later to get money to fill the tank. Until then, consider my bike out of commission."

Pulling back onto the road, Jordan asks, "Why didn't you get Scott or Stiles to get you?" Nixie pauses on that one, and then says carefully, "They have their hands full this morning." Jordan doesn't miss how she suddenly became guarded with her answer. Some other thing had happened, a thing that existed within the realm that was the weird and bizarre that seemed to constantly occur in Beacon Hills.

Sighing, Jordan then glances over again when Nixie says, "You didn't answer my question. What are you even doing here?" "Stiles called the sheriff to let him know you were running in the rain. He would've come to get you, but I offered to help out, so he sent me so he can talk to the FBI when they get to the station." Nixie blinks and asks, "The FBI is coming? Again?" Jordan nods and says, "It's not every day you find out a family in the neighborhood used to be cannibals." "Right."

They drive in silence for a while, until Jordan hears Nixie sigh beside him. Glancing over, he asks, "What's wrong?" "Oh… nothing. I just… I told Stiles not to worry about this. I'm fine." Jordan raises an eyebrow and says, "You were running to school. In the rain. The chances of you getting pneumonia increased exponentially, given those facts." "I was fine. I'll have you know, I have a patented method for avoiding such annoying illnesses and conditions." "And what exactly is that?" "Stubbornness."

For a moment, there's nothing but silence. But then Nixie grins when Jordan just starts laughing. Looking over at her again, he says, "I don't doubt you're incredibly stubborn. But for my sanity, please take off the soaking wet jacket you're wearing. It's not helping the case for you avoiding pneumonia." "Fine. Pull on this sleeve, will you?"

He grabs the sleeve she hands to him and holds it while she slides her arm out. Handing it back to her, touching her skin, he stares at her again before saying, "You're freezing." Nixie raises an eyebrow and says, "No. You just think I am. I'm always cold." "Nixie, you shouldn't be that cold all the time." "What can I say? I'm cold-blooded."

She pauses though when Jordan says, "You're, quite literally, the least cold-blooded person I've ever seen. So, that's not it." Turning back to him, Nixie finally grins a little and says gently, "Look, I appreciate the concern. But, and I promise you this is true… I feel fine. Honest."

He stares at her a moment more, his eyes roaming over her for a moment. Asking her to take off the jacket for her health was a wise decision. Asking her to take it off for his own health… bad decision. Her jacket wasn't the only thing soaked through. The shirt she was wearing beneath was soaked as well. And it clung to her, everywhere.

Her long hair was also soaked and hanging down around her face and shoulders, dripping water onto her skin and letting it run down into the clothing. Jordan has to jerk his head away from her to avoid finding himself in a rather embarrassing position.

He does glance back at her though, and he can't help but smile. She, quite obviously, didn't think she had that kind of effect. On anybody, let alone him. She wasn't looking at him like she wanted to catch him looking at her. She wasn't flaunting her rain-soaked body, or trying to cover it up for fear of how she looked. She really didn't think there was any need, either way, because why should he look at her.

Jordan knows the answer to that. Because she's beautiful. And he finds himself a little angry that no one had actually taken the time to make sure she knows that for herself.

It's while he's watching her again that he sees her shiver a little. Not like she was really cold… but more like a shiver had finally run up her spine. Nodding, Jordan then says, "Do me a favor. Don't get straight out of the car when we get to the school. Alright?" Nixie looks over at him and asks, "Why?" "Please?"

Smiling again, Nixie nods, and then settles back into the seat again.

After a little more silence, Jordan takes a breath and decides to ask if she knows anything about Sean Walcott. She obviously did, and she might not even tell him. But Jordan felt he would be remiss if he didn't try to ask. "So… you heard about Sean Walcott right? From the hospital?"

When he gets no response, he expects to look over and see her in extreme thought on how to avoid his question. But, he finds himself pleasantly surprised when he sees her asleep in the seat next to him.

His questions could wait. Let her rest while she could.

When he pulls in at the school, he leaves the car running as he hops out and runs around back to the trunk. Inside is a bag that he'd carried with him when he'd been at the police academy. In all honesty, he'd been meaning to take it out and get rid of some of the shirts, because none of them fit anymore.

But… well, they'd fit her.

Coming back to the car, he slides inside and shuts the door quietly behind him. Nixie stirs anyway, opening tired eyes to look out the windshield. When she wasn't waking up for one of her friends or to head off on some urgent chase, it always took Nixie a bit longer to make sure the sleepy look was gone from her eyes.

As Jordan looks at her now, he wonders how she's awake at all. Then she glances around before turning to Jordan. Blushing slightly, she says, "Sorry. Guess I fell asleep." Chuckling, Jordan says, "It's good to know I drive so well, you feel safe enough to fall asleep." Nixie offers a gentle laugh, and then says, "Thank you for the ride." "Hold on a minute."

Handing over the long-sleeved, dark gray t-shirt, he says, "You should put on something dry when you get in there." "Parrish… I'm fine." "Nixie, I would really hate for you to catch pneumonia." "I already told you. I'm stubborn."

He surprises her by leaning closer across the seat towards her. Putting the shirt gently in her hands, he says, "Humor me. Please?" She stares at him a moment more, and then ducks her eyes and bites her lower lip a bit.

Jordan definitely needs to ask her to stop doing that.

Looking back up at him, she holds up the shirt in one hand, and then says, "Thanks, Parrish. Really." Smiling over at her, he nods and says, "Anytime, Nixie."

There was that phrase again. 'Anytime, Nixie.' And she still believed him too. It was uncanny, how effective that little phrase was turning out to be, and how much it warmed her heart.

* * *

She changed into his shirt and her gym sweatpants in the locker room. The shirt itself is a bit too big for her… but it's comfy and warm. More importantly, it's not soaking wet. Then she pulls her hair into a ponytail, a few strands still falling out, and then hurries to change out her books and head to class.

Nixie was almost there, when some bulky new freshmen bumped into her and sent one of her books skidding off down the hall. Sighing in annoyance, seriously not in the mood for this today, she glares at the poor kid for a second before moving to try and retrieve her book.

Liam, however, gets there first. Picking it up, he hands it over a bit timidly as Nixie approaches him. But he relaxes when Nixie simply takes it back and asks, "What are you looking at me like that for? You'd think we were already worst enemies or something. I let you leave last night without argument. Take that to heart before you look at me like I just kicked your only puppy."

He smiles a bit, and then asks, "Um… it's Nixie? Right?" She nods and says, "And you are Liam. New freshman at Beacon Hills. And apparently one of the only gentlemen that exists within your grade. Bravo on that count, by the way." He smiles a little wider, but still blinks in surprise when Nixie comes up to him and glances down at his schedule. Nodding, she says, "Nice, well-rounded set of classes. You need any help?" "Well… actually…" "Where you going?"

He points out his history class on the list, so Nixie turns on her heel and says, "Right this way Dunbar. Keep up with me." Liam does keep up with her, with ease. As they're getting to the door, he asks, "Is um… is Parrish, like, your boyfriend?"

Nixie freezes about a foot away from the door. Turning slowly to Liam, she asks carefully, "How do you even know Parrish? And why would you think that? And what does it matter?" Liam blinks in surprise at the suddenly cautious and… maybe even hostile tone she's taken. Like he'd just threated her with bodily harm or something.

He shrugs after a moment, and then says, "I just… I mean, I don't know who he is. I just… thought I'd ask. Cause, you know…" Tilting her head, Nixie says, "I don't, actually. So why were you asking about Parrish?" And in spite of her still, slightly territorial tone, Liam raises an eyebrow and says, "You're wearing his shirt."

Blinking in confusion, Nixie asks in simple surprise, "How do you know that?" "It's got his name on it." She blinks again, and then rolls her eyes and asks, "Well, how was I supposed to know that? Geez." At Liam's puzzled look, Nixie explains, "Parrish is not my boyfriend. He's a cop at the sheriff's station. I was running to school in the rain this morning, and Stiles got his dad to send Parrish after me so I didn't catch pneumonia. That's why Parrish gave me the shirt too."

Giving Liam a look, she asks, "Satisfied, Mr. Curiosity?" He nods, and then just stands there staring at her for a bit. Raising an eyebrow, Nixie asks, "What?" He ponders about how to answer her for a moment, and then says, "I… don't like either of them. Your boys? I… I don't…" Nixie nods and says, "Yeah. I had a feeling the kidnapping part would put a bit of a hindrance on this new friendship for a while." Liam nods, and then says, "But you… you feel…"

Remembering what Scott had said recently… about how she smelled, and had always smelled, like safety, comfort, and home; Nixie nods and says, "Yeah. That's apparently never going to go away." Reaching out gently, she puts a hand on his shoulder, and watches as he relaxes even further at her touch.

It was really quite annoying, at least to Nixie. Because it made no sense, as far as she was concerned. She was touching his shoulder, and he felt better. It's not like she was giving him a present… or a kidney.

She'll admit though… it was a pleasant side effect. Scott and Stiles might have to go to extremes to talk to Liam at this point… but not Nixie. Squeezing his shoulder a bit, Nixie says, "Look… I know how you must feel about Scott right now. Even if he did save your life… the duck-tape thing and the tub… he should've known better. And I am appalled for the both of us, believe me, where his behavior and reactions on that point are concerned."

Coming closer, Nixie adds, "But… he is a good man. He panicked, and handled the situation badly last night. I give you that. But he's a good man. You don't know what he's done… all that he's worked to try and accomplish and overcome, just in the past two and a half years."

She releases him, nods towards his classroom, and then says, "Just… give him a chance. Maybe not right away. But… I know things must be getting a little weird for you. You're probably hearing things you aren't used to hearing, and seeing things and feeling things that don't feel or look normal." Liam's eyes widen upon hearing how she already knows that. Nodding, Nixie adds, "Talk to Scott eventually, Liam. It will only get easier if you let him help you."

After that, she takes off to her class with Lydia and Kira. Settling into a chair next to them at the table, she pauses upon hearing Kira ask, "These are your math notes?" Glancing down at the screen with them, watching as a rather cryptic page of dashes, figures, shapes, and lines scrolls through, Nixie makes a thoughtful noise in her throat and says, "No wonder Malia's failing."

Lydia gives her a look, but grins all the same. Nixie grins back and asks, "Any idea?" "No. And some of them are my notes. Mixed in here for now. But… I think the rest may actually be a code." Nodding, Nixie nudges her shoulder while saying, "And you said you didn't have any idea. Like that's ever actually happened."

Lydia grins again, and then they look to Kira when she asks, "But, you don't remember writing it?" Lydia shakes her head, "Not in the slightest." Then Nixie adds, "But… considering her drawing of a tree led us to the Nemeton… we should probably work on figuring out what this means. Preferably, before it tries to kill us all. Or before someone tries to use it to kill us. Neither option really suits me very well."

Lydia nods in agreement, and when Kira realizes that, sarcastic tone aside, they weren't joking, she leans down to look at it closer. Tilting her head, Kira offers up, "Maybe it's like the Enigma Code the Allies used." Nixie blinks and looks away from the screen to ask, "The what now?" Kira laughs at her, "Remember, my dad was a World War II buff? And mom was… well, she was in it, so…" Nixie nods, and then says, "Great. More history lessons. As if I'm not having a hard enough time passing the class I already have to take."

Looking up at Nixie with a frown, Lydia asks, "You're having trouble?" Smiling gently, Nixie answers, "No more than usual Lydia. I'm merely pointing out that, as this is my least favorite subject, I would appreciate it if our encounters with the supernatural didn't constantly lead us back into it." Lydia nods in understanding, and then looks at her code again. Tilting her own head, she says, "Actually… I think this might be a variation on something called the Vigenere Cipher."

Sighing, Nixie says, "Which sounds like something else from history. Do I need a lesson on that as well?" Lydia shakes her head and says, "I know how to crack it. With a key." Raising an eyebrow, Nixie asks, "Why do you have to say it like that?" "Like what?" "Like it's the easiest thing in the world."

Right then, before Lydia can comment, Natalie hands over the keys to the lake house. She states the rules again, and then reminds Lydia to lock up the basement since some animal keeps getting down there to scratch up everything. But as soon as she's gone, all three girls look at each other, knowing that it's not an animal. It's Malia, trying to stay locked up and safe on the full moons.

As class is about to begin, Lydia glances over at Nixie, and then reaches back for the jacket she'd hung from the back of her chair. Handing it over, Lydia says, "Thanks for letting me borrow it." "Yeah, no problem."

She wants to bug Nixie about all the patchwork that's been done to it, and what she knows that has to mean for Nixie and the injuries she must have by now. But before she can get on that, she pauses upon finally seeing the back of Nixie's shirt.

'Parrish'… in white letters was printed on the back, along with the Police Academy emblem. Nixie was wearing his shirt.

And Lydia already knows Nixie had been running in the rain. Stiles had told her about it earlier. But even so, Parrish had to have known that Nixie would have gym clothes she could change into when she got here. Parrish didn't have to give Nixie one of his own shirts.

Whether either of them knew it or not… this was turning into something between them. And Lydia, before all was said and done, was going to move mountains of her own if she had to, in order to see them together.

Given all that Nixie's done… all she's been through… and as many times as she's been hurting in secret? Lydia knows, without a doubt, that Nixie deserves at least that much from her.

* * *

"I'm not sharing my basement."

That's Malia's first reaction to realizing they're going to have to bring Liam to the lake house, since he was most definitely turning into a werewolf. Control, on Liam's part, was going to be minimal at best. And with Malia still needing help too… it wasn't going to be good.

While Lydia goes about explaining that it's actually 'her' basement, Scott looks over at Nixie and shakes his head. As soon as she'd arrived to help them plan for getting Liam to the house, he'd told her that he still wanted her to work at the diner today. By now, every one of them was aware that she'd run to school in the rain before getting picked up. Scott didn't want her doing that again. So she would be working tonight so she could fill her tank.

Besides… with the way things were looking lately, they were going to need her and her bike soon. Racing down the streets at speeds that would have most people shitting their pants to even think about.

Nixie wasn't exactly thrilled with it… but it wasn't like Scott was planning on taking on this 'Mute' without her. This was just Liam. They were going to try and help him through the full moon. And if all else failed, someone could call her to come and help.

She turns to look at Stiles when he says in Malia's defense, "Alright, she's still learning." Scott nods in understanding, "We're gonna use the boathouse for Liam." Kira asks, "Why?" He points to Nixie in response, "Nixie pointed out that the support beams in there are pretty sturdy and strong. We can chain him to one of them if we have to." And Nixie adds, "Which you probably will."

As all eyes fall on her, she says, "What? I'm just saying, people. He's a brand new, literally a day old, werewolf. Let's manage our expectations a little bit, shall we?" They all nod, and then Kira points out, "That still leaves us with figuring out how we even get him out there in the first place." Nixie points to Kira in approval of that point. Stiles pipes in, "I say if it keeps him from murdering someone, we just chloroform the little bastard and throw him in the lake." To which Malia instantly responds, "I'm in."

Scott smiles when Nixie, who had moved between the two, slaps them both in the back of the head. Stiles jerks and says, "Owe!" Malia simply rubs the back of her head slightly, not offended. It had been explained to her that, while Nixie's slaps would hurt a little, they were given out with love. An annoyed love… but love, nonetheless.

Nixie then wraps an arm over Malia's shoulders and says, "Remember. We don't take Stiles' threats of murder seriously. We take mine seriously." Malia nods, and then turns to Scott when he says to everyone, "And we're not killing or kidnapping him. Well… we're not kidnapping him again." Nixie gives him a thumb's up, making him smile again.

Lydia then suggests, "So, let's be smarter. We'll tell him there's a party and invite him." Stiles gives her a look, "You're going to ask out a freshman?" "No. I am done with teenage boys." Nixie nods approvingly, and then grins a little at Lydia. They'd already discussed this earlier in another of their classes. And there was really only one person in the group that could get this done without looking suspicious yet.

Looking to Kira, Nixie adds in, "But… since you guys are going to be playing a trick on someone… why not let our very own trickster handle it?" Kira looks around at everyone wide-eyed and says, "Me? No way! Not me!" Lydia nods, "Yes, you! Do you know what they call a female fox?" When Kira gives her a confused look, Nixie adds in, "A vixen." Lifting her eyebrows suggestively, Lydia finishes, "Be a vixen, Kira. You can do it."

As they all begin departing back to class, knowing what they have to do, Nixie pauses behind the bus as her phone rings. "Yeah, Derek? What's up?" "I would've told you last night… but I figured you had enough to deal with concerning Scott and whoever was on the roof with him. You ever figure that out?" "Yeah. Some kind named Liam. We have a new werewolf now, by the way. Fun stuff."

Derek chuckles, and then says, "Well… the Mute was here." A brief pause, before Nixie asks, "Are you alright?" "He didn't come for me. At least, not yet. He came for Peter. I walked in and he had a tomahawk sticking out of his chest." Nodding, Nixie says, "I'm glad you waited. Is he dead?" "No." "Pity."

Grinning, Derek says, "I'm about to burn the wolfsbane out of his wound. In any case, I'll be at the police station later tonight to show some of the Mute's stuff to Noah. Peter managed to grab some of it in the struggle. Will you be there?" "Yeah." "You sure? Scott told me you would be working tonight."

Nixie rolls her eyes and says, "Yeah, but not all night. Long enough to earn the money for a new tank of gas. Then I'll be out of there. When are you coming?" "Not sure. This could take a while." "Be sure to tell Peter I hope it hurts like hell." "Will do. I'll see you later Nixie." "Oh, obviously. Scott's already benched me from helping with Liam. I wouldn't miss this for the world."

* * *

The diner was crowded today, which meant that Nixie was able to work a lot of tables and earn a lot of tips, on top of what she made for working there at all. So after she finished up a four-hour shift, she filled her bike to the brim with gas, and then took off towards the station.

When she got there, Derek still wasn't in, and neither was Noah for that matter.

Nor was Jordan at the time, which Nixie frowned at, before then blushing a little because that part shouldn't matter so much to her. It really shouldn't.

Plopping down on the couch next to where his desk is, Nixie pulls out several history books and spreads them over the couch. Then she pulls out her laptop, and bunkers down there to start working on the history essay that's due at the end of the week. Might as well work on these things when there was time. Heaven only knew when the next crisis was going to hit in this town.

She was an hour into working on it, halfway through the paper, when one of her books fell down on to the floor… again. This had been a periodic thing for the past hour. She had too many books, to be honest. She only needed three sources for the essay, and one of those was the textbook. But Nixie had six, because all of them seemed to have information she wanted that the others didn't.

Not her fault someone wasn't already smart enough to put it all in one book. Seriously.

Sighing, Nixie is about to move her laptop over so she can get it again. And honestly, having to get the book off the floor wouldn't be so annoying, if not for two reasons. The first being that, she was covered in notes, her laptop, and other books. She had to move it all to get the one that fell, and then settle back in again.

The second reason… was because Haigh was in the office. And rather than help her each time he saw a book fall, he laughed from behind his desk. The rest of the office didn't help either, but Nixie didn't really mind them. They were surely busier than they appeared. But Haigh was openly laughing at her… and she was about to sucker-punch him. Well, after she uncovered herself from her work.

That's when the books appears beside her again. Looking up from her computer, she blinks in surprise when she finds Jordan there, bent down to her level at the moment. Smiling gently, he looks around her and then touches the book and asks, "Did it piss you off, or is it simply being unhelpful at the moment?"

Nixie laughs, making Jordan grin wider. Then she says, "Um… no. No, I need it. I just… keep dropping it on the floor. Well, not dropping. That implies I was holding it. So it apparently just keeps creeping towards the edge and falling off on its own." Jordan nods, "Right. Because it's obviously not your fault that it keeps falling down." "Well, obviously."

He chuckles, and then picks the book up again as he stands. Setting it on the edge of his desk, he moves a couple of stacks of folders out of the way. Then he pulls up a spare chair and says, "Here. This'll probably work better for you."

Nixie stares at him for a moment, but then says in a timid sounding voice, "I don't… want to get in the way. If…" Jordan turns to look at her again, only to find her biting her lip again. God, he really needed to tell her to quit. But that would probably get him in even more trouble. So instead, he simply says, "Nixie, if I thought you'd be in my way, I wouldn't have told you to sit here. Now come on. For the sake of history, sit here."

Smiling, and even laughing again, Nixie says, "If it's for the sake of history, maybe I'd better stay here. I'm not actually very fond of the subject." Jordan glances to all of her books, and then asks, "Really?" She nods, and then says in understanding, "Oh, don't let the books fool you. I actually despise this subject. But… I am a fan of good grades. Hence the mound of information that I currently possess."

Jordan chuckles again, and then gently takes the laptop from her lap. Sitting it on the desk, he says, "Come on. For the sake of a good grade then." "Ah. Well, you have me there."

They work in silence for a while after that, Jordan on case files and reports, and Nixie on her essay. Jordan is about halfway through his stack when he looks back over to see how Nixie's faring. Currently, she has her blue highlighter in hand, going over a particular section in the book that she'll need for the ending.

She sighs in annoyance though when it runs out of ink. And she doesn't have any more. She tries to force it to work, just long enough to get to the end.

She's still fighting with it when an orange one suddenly slips into her line of sight. Glancing to her right, she sees Jordan holding an orange highlighter out to her. Smiling gently, he says, "Looks like you could use it." Smiling, Nixie takes it and says, "Thanks." "Sure thing. Just hope the color change doesn't screw you up." "It won't."

After finishing with that section, she sticks the highlighter between her teeth without even batting an eye. And as Jordan looks over at her again… he can't help but grin at her. Whether she liked it or not, there were times when you looked at her and couldn't help but think that she was adorable. And right now was one of them. The girl had a pencil stuck behind one ear, a red pen stuck behind the other, and his highlighter in her mouth, and a look of deep, but also contented concentration in her eyes.

The fact that she was still wearing his shirt certainly didn't hurt matters either.

He watches her read through a few more lines of her paper, and then she finally pauses. Glancing downward, Nixie slowly takes the highlighter out from between her teeth.

When her eyes cut over to him, Jordan can't help but laugh as a quick blush rushes into her cheeks. Ducking her eyes, Nixie says, "Sorry. I… wasn't even thinking. I just…" Jordan puts a gentle hand on her back and says, "Nixie, it doesn't even bother me. If it did, I would've told you to give it back. Or, you know, maybe I would've just taken it back out of your mouth."

Nixie turns to look at him again, and then grins and says, "No you wouldn't." Chuckling again, Jordan says, "No, I wouldn't. However, the point is… it doesn't bother me. Besides, I wasn't even using that highlighter." Nodding, Nixie says, "Well, fair warning, it's probably going to happen again." "And if I suddenly change my mind, don't be surprised when I reach over and snatch it back."

He grins when she just laughs at him, and then they both set back to their work.

It's been another hour, and it's dark outside, when Jordan realizes that Nixie isn't leaving any time soon. And she also didn't have any dinner with her to give Noah. That was another sign he'd picked up on. A way for him to guess at when their gang had a serious issue to discuss at the station. When she or Stiles were simply there to be with Noah, they had dinner for him too. And since there was no dinner…

Jordan was about to ask what might be up… when Derek Hale walks into the door. And Jordan doesn't even want to start to get into why there had once been a kid who had prints that came up as Derek Hale. He's sure that, somehow, there's an explanation. He's also certain that nobody is going to tell him what that is.

Yet.

Noah walks in right behind him, and as Nixie looks up from her work, she saves her work on the computer one more time before closing down and packing up. Jordan sighs inwardly, wondering what sort of crisis they're working on in secret now. He had a great deal of patience, and he often prided himself on that aspect of his character. But it was taking all he had to not start demanding answers to his questions. Like, why high school students needed to be so involved with such dangerous cases? I mean, it's good that, in the end, the terror seems to stop and the bad guys seem to get caught. But still…

And… okay, yes. It concerns him a great deal that Nixie, in particular, seems to always end up involved in these messes. It concerns him a lot. Probably more than it should.

He pauses in his work though when his orange highlighter is gently set in front of him. Nixie smiles gently when he looks up at her. "Thanks again, Parrish. Really." Smiling, he nods, "Anytime, Nixie."

Her smile grew a little bit at his words, and as she turned to walk into the office with Derek and Noah, Jordan found himself grinning as well. If that simple response made her that happy… he'd make sure to say it as often as he could. Well, granted that she wasn't doing something that he completely disagreed with.

Inside the office, after Derek explains what happened this morning in more detail, Noah picks up the glove/keyboard that Derek had brought. Frowning in thought, he says, "I still don't get why this guy has no mouth. I mean… how can he eat?"

Nixie slaps a hand over her mouth to hide her laughter. Because yes, that was a brilliant question. But of all the things Noah could pick to worry about right now, at this very moment… he picks worrying about how the ax-murdering mute could possibly eat.

Derek gives Noah a look, and then turns to Nixie and asks, "Really?" She shrugs helplessly, so Derek turns back to Noah and answers, "Peter didn't get a chance to ask. He was a little busy,fighting him off… with a tomahawk buried in his chest." And at that, Nixie lets out a burst of laughter. Both men turn to look at her, and she shrugs helplessly again and says, "Hey, I'm sorry. But you both are fully aware that sarcasm is my favorite form of humor. The universe would literally cry if I didn't laugh right now."

Noah shakes his head and says, "Well, we can't have that." "Exactly!"

Nixie then turns slightly, just meaning to glance out the window of the office to see Parrish at his desk. Which, she realizes, shouldn't be a great concern of hers… but she wanted to see him again.

Except he wasn't there. And his coffee cup was gone too. He must've gone to get more.

And again… she realizes she probably shouldn't notice so much about the man. Geez, she really needed to figure this out.

As Derek and Noah turn back to the device, Noah finally huffs in aggravation and asks in amazement, "And who runs around with a tomahawk?!"

Meanwhile, Jordan had gone to get himself another cup of coffee. And while he'd been standing there… he found himself making a second cup without even realizing it. One with entirely too many ingredients and sugar to be for anyone who actually worked in this office.

He has no idea why it suddenly feels like second nature to get her coffee. He does know that she looks like she needs it. There are some dark circles forming under her eyes again. The girl really needed to start setting aside some time for sleep.

As he'd carried both cups back, he pauses at the sheriff's door, and hears the question about the tomahawk. And… okay, why the hell do they need to know about tomahawks?

But, he does know at least one answer to the question, so he steps in just a bit and says, "I carried one for IED removal in Afghanistan." All three heads in the room swivel to look at him. And then Noah can't help it. He laughs when Nixie says, "That's it. I'm either getting a bell for the door so we can hear it open. Or I'm putting a bell on every single deputy in here so I can hear them come in. Which would you prefer Noah? I will personally pay for the bells. I'm that dedicated."

Jordan raises an eyebrow and asks, "What if I don't want to wear a bell?" Nixie simply raises one back and retorts, "Who said you had any say in this?" Noah laughs a bit harder, and then says, "Don't worry Parrish. I'm not letting her 'bell' any deputies." She turns back to him and says, "Door then. Fine." "Nixie…" "You're giving me that look, like you want me to stop joking. I'm not joking. I'm dead serious. Bell. Need it. Like, yesterday."

Noah rolls his eyes with a grin, and then Nixie looks back at Jordan. Grinning slightly, she winks and Jordan grins in response. Then he gestures to the device in Noah's hands and says, "Anyways… tomahawks are standard for the IED removal teams. And so is that."

All heads swivel to him again, and then Derek asks, "Do you know what it's used for?" Stepping further into the room to get a look, he absentmindedly hands over the cup of coffee meant for Nixie, and then sets his down on the desk. Nixie stares in surprise at the cup she's suddenly holding. And when Derek looks over at her, raising an eyebrow in question, she shrugs in bewilderment.

But she can smell the heavenly scent that clearly tells her that it's meant for her. And as she takes a sip, she closes her eyes and soaks in the warmth and the flavor for a moment. Derek narrows his eyes at her, wondering what all of it was about.

But then they look to Jordan again when he says, "Well… this one looks like it's been modified."

When no one responds to that, Jordan looks up, only to see Noah and Derek both looking behind him. At Nixie.

She'd taken a second sip of coffee and was soaking it in, when she opens her eyes to find them looking at her. Blinking, she asks, "What?" Jordan glances at her too, but doesn't interrupt when Derek simply glances back at Jordan, nodding towards him, and then looks to Nixie again.

Nixie glances between Derek and Noah, and then slumps her shoulders and says, "Not the both of you too." Derek shrugs and says, "Stiles is right. Your ability to know who we can trust the most is… uncanny." "That does not make it guaranteed. Plus, there are plenty of people around that I don't like… but that doesn't mean we have to go hunt them down or put them on a watch list."

Taking a step towards her, Derek says, "You know who we can talk to. You always know. Just like, even when I was an ass, you knew I could be better. So, can he be better?" Rolling her eyes, Nixie says, "No. Jordan's already pretty great. Only thing he could do better would be to not argue with me as much. And he's only really done that, like, once." Jordan holds up a hand and says, "I'm still not sorry about that." "And I am still well aware."

Looking to Derek again, realizing he isn't going to flinch on what he wants to know, Nixie rolls her eyes again, but then says softly, "Yes. We can trust him." Derek nods after looking in her eyes for a moment, and then moves to shut the door to the office. Jordan then looks over at Noah, who simply says, "Show us."

* * *

It takes him about a half-hour to hack into the keyboard of the glove. Modified as it was, the protection on it was still minimal. In fact, the glove's protection might've been downgraded in the modification process.

And through the process, though Noah and Derek had stopped watching what he was doing long ago, Nixie remained behind him, watching him work on the laptop from over his shoulder.

She was smart. That was a given. But she was not a certifiable genius like Lydia. There was still a lot that Nixie was willing to admit she didn't know. And whatever Jordan was doing right now… this was certainly one of those things.

Derek was watching them both from the side of the room, though neither of them knew that. And what he found was, at least in his opinion, fascinating. Nixie leaned forward every so often, when Jordan was working on something new to get into the device. And every time she did, Jordan would feel her get closer, and then begin giving explanations about what he was doing.

The result was a smiling Nixie. But not in the normal way. Nixie could always be counted on for a smile and a hug. This was… well, it was different. It was like she felt flattered that Jordan was freely giving her the information she wanted. Even more than that… she looked almost giddy at the fact that she didn't have to ask him. He just started talking.

Derek was honestly about to walk up to her and comment, when Jordan finally says, "Okay, I think I got an IP address." Nixie is back over his shoulder, and Noah comes around to look while asking, "That means we can find him. Right?" Nodding, Jordan adds, "Definitely. Especially if…"

That's when the glove starts jerking. All eyes flit to it, and then Jordan finds himself struggling to hold back a grin when Nixie whispers, "Trippy." Noah gives her a look, to which she says, "What? If that shit isn't trippy, then I don't know what is. It's a handless glove, people. A handless glove that's moving. Work with me here. Please."

Jordan digs into the mainframe of the device some more, and then says, "I think I found a message. Anybody recognize the handle 'Benefactor'?" Nixie shakes her head, and then as a new message pops onto the screen, Derek leans in and reads, "Money transferred. What does that mean?"

Jordan feels Nixie lean back from him, so he turns thinking that maybe she remembered something about the name 'Benefactor. But when he turns to see her, she doesn't look like she remembers a name. She looks like she just realized something truly terrifying.

Noah looks back to her too and asks, "Nixie?" She wracks her brain slightly, trying to make sure she still thinks she's on the right track. Derek turns to her too and says, "Nix. What…" She cuts him off and says, "He came after the Walcott's. All of them. A family a cannibals."

Derek nods, and then she looks up at him and says, "He came after Peter. And… he's coming after you." It takes him another minute to catch on, and then he leans back in his realization. Nixie then adds, "And he's being paid. Which means he's not a hunter. He's not killing for himself. He has targets. He has a list to go after. So he's worse."

Noah then nods and says, "He's an assassin."

Complete silence follows that statement for a moment. Then Nixie grabs Jordan's chair and spins him back around. She's not harsh or anything. She doesn't shove him back to the desk. She simply isn't in the mood to waste time. Gesturing to the computer, she says, "Find him."

Jordan doesn't even look at Noah right now to see if that's what the sheriff wants. He knew the answer would still be yes. But even if it hadn't been, Jordan would've started working on it anyway.

Nixie's eyes were suddenly fierce and sharp. Not that they were ever unfocused… but he could actually feel the anger emanating from them right now. Anger at this person who was coming after Derek.

Sure, Jordan wasn't privy to the rest of what was going through Nixie's mind. That, if this assassin was after Derek, then maybe he was also after Scott and the rest of the pack. But she could fill him in on that later.

Nixie surprises herself with that thought. Jordan wouldn't be informed later. He didn't need to know. He shouldn't be someone that she wanted to keep up to date on all this.

But he was… and she did want to.

Five minutes later, Jordan says, "It says he was signed in on the school's wifi network." Noah nods and says, "That's where I'm headed then."

Nixie leans back, prepared to go with him, when Noah says, "Nixie, I do wish you'd stay here." "Noah, I…" But before she can argue, her phone rings. Glancing down at the ID, seeing Lydia's name, she pauses for a moment to think. She could definitely take the call while still going with Noah to the scene. But, if Lydia was calling, then it was likely that something at the lake house was wrong, which meant she was needed there as well. And much as she'd like to, she couldn't ask Noah to wait.

Derek finally comes up to her side and says, "I'll go with him. I'll keep an eye on him. Besides, the chances are that he's not even there anymore. I'll call you if anything happens." Looking up at him, Nixie says, "The minute something happens." "I will do my very best to make that happen, Nix. Promise."

Nodding, Nixie hugs him and feels him press a kiss to the top of her head. Then she turns to Noah and hugs him. Sighing, she says, "If he's there, shoot first and ask questions later." Noah hugs her in return, and then both of them head out the door. Though while Nixie is preparing to answer the phone, Noah looks back to Jordan at his desk.

His best deputy looks up at him, and then watches as Noah makes a pointed look at Nixie before looking back to Jordan. Which Jordan takes as a sign to keep an eye on Nixie while she's there, if he can. Nodding to confirm he understands, Jordan then watches Noah head out the door with Derek.

As Jordan goes back to work on the laptop, trying to see if he can find any more information, Nixie answers the phone and asks, "Yeah, Lydia? What's up?" The lengthy pause is not a good sign. Frowning, Nixie asks, "Lydia?" The quiet voice that answers freezes Nixie in place as Lydia says, "Hi… Nixie."

Glaring at the window in front of her, Nixie asks, "Who hurt you? And how painful do you want their death to be?" Another pause, and then Lydia asks in a slightly cheerier tone, "Aren't you are the police station? You sure that's the best place to be planning a murder?" Nixie shrugs and says, "I'm in Noah's office. Very secure. Parrish is the only one here."

Turning to him, she asks in a loud whisper, "You wanna help me get rid of a dead body later." And though Jordan is quite certain that, if it boiled down to it, Nixie actually would kill somebody for Lydia… he knows at this current point, she's only joking with him. So he gives her a thumb's up, to which Nixie smiles wide and says into the phone, "See? Parrish is on board."

Lydia laughs slightly, but the sound is still tainted by her own worry and weariness. Smiling gently, Nixie says, "Lydia, talk to me. Tell me what's wrong. I will fix it." "You don't even know what's wrong yet, Nix." "True. But, you know, I'm kind of awesome. Whatever it is, I'll fix it." She smiles when Lydia laughs again, and then says, "Talk to me."

Sighing, Lydia says, "It's… it's so stupid really. I mean… now that I think about it, I feel…" She takes a breath, and then admits, "There's wine on the carpet." Frowning, Nixie asks, "Why is there wine on the carpet?" "A freshman… well, I guess it was more my fault, actually. Anyways, I was getting him out of the room and dropped the wine glasses."

Frowning again, Nixie asks, "A freshman? Why is there a freshman at the lake house?" Then she pauses, and says, "You know what? Start over. At the beginning, please. And I will wait until you're done to ask questions."

So Lydia explains what's happened so far tonight, and when she's finished, Nixie pinches the bridge of her nose from where she's now sitting on the arm of the sofa in the office. Looking back up, giving Jordan a brief smile to try and ease the concerned look on his face, Nixie then says, "I'm fairly certain an actual party was not part of the plan. How much wine was spilt?"

Lydia looks down and says, "Um… maybe half a glass. I'm not…" "I'll get it out." Lydia blinks in surprise, and then asks, "How?" Shrugging, Nixie answers, "How hard could it possibly be to get it out?" "Nixie… its red wine on a white carpet." "Yeah, I got that. And again, I ask, how hard could it possibly be? It's not like it's impossible. It can be done, it's been done before."

Laughing a little, Lydia says, "It's alright, Nix. I have some spare money at home. I can pay for a cleaner. It'll probably be about five-hundred. It's…" Nixie stands up to start pacing a bit, more out of boredom now than anything else. But she does relax further and smile when Lydia laughs hard as Nixie asks, "Why would you pay a cleaner five-hundred dollars to clean it, when you have me and I'll do it for free? That makes absolutely no sense. It is also, by the way, an insult to my cleaning abilities. I might not be a Cinderella by any means, but I can clean a damn carpet. And why in the hell are you still laughing? I'm serious."

Jordan grins at the smile that's evident in Nixie's tone. She was working very hard to try and get Lydia to relax about this situation. That's what she always seemed to be doing. Helping her friends and making them feel better when it seemed that the world might be falling apart around them.

While she's been talking to Lydia, Jordan had long since given up finding any more useful information from the keyboard. He'd gotten everything useful he could out of it. And after that, he'd meant to close down the laptop again. He really had. Because, while the sheriff did have a laptop they could've used, it had been in his squad car at the time, and Nixie's had been closer. So she'd pulled hers back out and set it up for them to use.

And since she hadn't actually shut the computer down the first time, her history essay was still an open icon on the task bar. And Jordan found that he couldn't help himself. He opened it up to take a peek at it.

Which… well, it started as a peek. Nixie was nearly finished with her essay, which was already ten pages long. She was going to have no problem writing college essays. But… as Jordan had looked at the page she'd left off on, he found one paragraph that was made up, entirely, of a single sentence. Then he'd scrolled to the top and found several sentences that seemed to do the same.

And he couldn't help it. He started making notes in her document. He even wrote on a sticky note and stuck it to the laptop, which said, 'Too many commas'.

Jordan, amidst reviewing her work, had honestly missed when she hung up with Lydia. He missed when Nixie came to see what he was doing again. And he missed when she left the room for a moment.

He only realized she was paying him very close attention again, when she read his note aloud, "Too many commas?" Glancing back to see her over his shoulder again, he ducks his eyes for a moment, saying, "Uh… sorry, I… it was…" But Nixie simply sits a steaming cup of coffee next to his empty one, and then tilts her head while reading over some of the notes he's made. Frowning, she asks, "How can there be too many commas?"

Leaning back to stand up straight, she adds, "I mean, I guess there could be. But I'm fairly certain I'm using them correctly. It's not like every other word has a comma. It's just doing its job of breaking the sentence apart. That's what commas are for."

Jordan finally grins and says, "So does a period." Looking down at him, raising an eyebrow at his little quip, she grins back while asking, "Alright, genius. Enlighten me, with your 'oh so vast wisdom', on the use of commas."

He takes a sip from his coffee, which is black, just how he likes it. Then he says, "Well… commas are used after conjugations most of the time, so that's a good rule of thumb. Beyond that, you try to judge it by reading the sentence aloud. Or just in your head. A comma should probably go wherever you feel like you're supposed to stop and take a breath."

Pointing to her paper, to a paragraph that is made of one sentence, he says, "Also, this makes the paper look rushed. Like you're trying to cram as much information into the reader as fast as you possibly can." Nixie frowns a bit and says, "I am." Chuckling, Jordan says, "I understand that, mayber for you, getting all the information as fast as possible probably always seems best. But when you're writing a paper, you want to write it as though you know that the person who is going to read it, is going to take their time. They don't want to feel like you're trying to cram the information down their throat. They want to be informed, and to read it at their own pace."

For a moment, Nixie just stares down at him, a slightly conflicted look in her eyes. Then she leans in closer again, over his shoulder, and asks softly, "So… where are there too many commas?" The disappointed tone she uses makes Jordan chuckle again. He can't help it. Turning to see her, her face literally directly over his shoulder, he says, "You know, it's alright to not have everything perfect the first time. That's why they call them rough drafts."

Nixie smiles at him after a moment, and then blushes a little at the proximity of their faces. Ducking hers for a moment, she then looks back to the screen and asks, "So… where?" Jordan watches her a moment longer, and then clears his throat and turns back to her computer, pointing out to her again what he means and where she could best break up her paragraphs.

He's almost proofread her entire essay, when the radio clipped to his shoulder crackles to life. Noah's voice on the other end says, "Parrish? Come in, Parrish." Reaching up, he says, "This is Parrish. Go." "It's Stilinski. I need you to get down to the school. Quickly. And make sure you bring your bomb disposal gear." Nodding, Jordan says, "Ten-four."

Standing up to leave, he freezes when Nixie suddenly move in front of him. Grabbing the button his radio, still clipped to his shoulder, Nixie leans up to speak into it, "Noah?" After a moment, Noah asks, "Nixie? What radio are you on?" "I'm on Jordan's. Obviously. And don't even begin to argue with me. You're at the school, with a bomb… I'm coming. Now, where's Derek? Is he alright? Are you alright? What happened?"

Noah looks over to Derek, and then hands over his radio. Derek nods and says, "I'm fine Nixie. We… hit a snag. It's been taken care of. I'll explain everything when you get here." Over the radio, in the background, Nixie can hear Noah ask, "Why are you encouraging her?" To which Derek answers, "You say that like she won't just drive herself down here if Parrish leaves her behind. Only difference is, rather than an agreeable Nixie, we'll get a pissed off one. And I'd rather have the agreeable one."

Amidst their talking, Nixie was on her toes so she could speak clearly into the mike. And she probably would've at least slumped down, or maybe even tripped a bit and fallen… if not for Jordan.

It had been instinctual. That's what he going with anyways. He can't be certain he would do that for anyone that came this close and commandeered his radio to talk into. No one else had done it.

Which, in hindsight, he knows means that Nixie is the only one he'll end up holding like this. She was, in all likelihood, the only one he'd allow to get and remain this close. And when he'd seen her tilting slightly, as though about to lose balance, his hands had gone to her hips to keep her steady.

She hadn't noticed it at first. She was too focused on figuring out that both Derek and Noah were alright. But now that she knew that information… she darted her eyes over to Jordan, only to find him watching her. Blushing, she lets go of the radio and says, "Sorry. I was… I didn't…" Shrugging, squeezing gently to try and assure her that it's fine, Jordan says in understanding, "You were worried. It's alright. But… we probably should go. If there's a bomb in play, I need to handle that as soon as possible."

Nixie nods, and when Jordan actually helps her pack up her stuff, she asks, "You're helping me go with you?" He nods in answer, and then chuckles and says, "I might not agree with it entirely. But Derek Hale is correct. Leaving you behind certainly doesn't mean you won't just end up there anyway. Come on."

As they exit the office, Haigh looks up at them, and then smirks and says, "Nice shirt, Nixie." She turns to look at him in annoyed confusion… but then remembers that she's still wearing the shirt Jordan had given her. She'd very nearly forgotten that it actually belonged to him. Glancing back at him, standing behind her, she says, "Sorry. I, um…" Jordan gives her a look and says, "I gave you the shirt, Nixie. Why are you apologizing?"

Then to Haigh, he says, "When you find a girl in the rain, wet and freezing, you do what you can to warm her up and get her dry as quickly as possible. Pretty sure that's not even something you need to be taught. It's common sense."

Haigh frowns and glares at their backs, even as Jordan clearly doesn't care and guides Nixie out of the room. It annoyed Jordan as well, maybe even more than it did Nixie, that Haigh seemed to be trying to make her feel bad about being in his shirt.

His annoyance vanishes though, and he smiles when Nixie turns to him with a beaming look of satisfaction. Practically bouncing beside him, she says, "You are my favorite person today. Do you know how many times I've tried to piss him off that much? And I don't mean scare him. I'm good at scaring him. I mean, just piss him off so completely. That was beautiful. I wish I'd had a camera."

Chuckling, Jordan opens the door to his SUV so Nixie can get in, and then he takes off to get to the school as fast as he can. Because, happy as she was now, Jordan could tell that Nixie was still antsy about the idea of Noah and Derek being at the school… with a bomb.

Which… yeah. That would be enough to make anyone a little antsy.

* * *

Nixie had known there would be a limit to Jordan's willingness to bring her along. And the limit happened when they arrived and she wanted to head inside the school to check on Noah and Derek… even before he'd put on his bomb disposal gear.

In hindsight, Nixie thinks that maybe, if she'd waited for him to be ready, he might've let her follow in behind him. But she hadn't waited. She'd tried to go. And so now, here she was, sitting in the cop car, tapping her foot restlessly while waiting for any one of them to come out.

And heaven help them if the school blew up while they were still in it. Dead or not, she'd find a way to make them feel the harsh slap she'd give each of their heads. Jordan included.

Which… yeah, she should really figure out why he's already one of the people she considers okay to slap if they do something really stupid. She should figure out a lot about him. Maybe everything.

But again, that would have to happen when they had a moment's peace again. You know? When a mouthless assassin wasn't trying to kill them all, and 'benefactors' weren't hiring people to murder supernatural creatures in Beacon Hills.

It's been ten minutes when Derek exits the building. Sighing in relief, Nixie rolls down the window and asks, "What's going on?" Derek nods his head back towards the school and says, "The mute was here. The whole thing was a trap." "Did he hurt you guys? Where did he go?"

Derek grins down at the determined and vengeful look that enters Nixie's gaze. But he says, "As much as I would love to watch you kick his ass… he's already dead." "How?" "Peter showed up. Must've been tailing me since I came to fill in the sheriff on what had happened at the loft. And… well, you know Peter. Apparently he's a 'creature of habit'."

Rolling her eyes, Nixie says, "Whatever. I still don't like him. But, at least for now, I'm not going to go and try to kill him again. At least, not for that." Derek gives her a look, to which she says, "What?! I'm glad the mouthless bastard is dead! Sue me!"

Derek chuckles a bit, and then glances back at the school. The deep and confused look of concentration on his face has Nixie tugging gently on his arm. He turns back to her, and she asks, "What's wrong?" He smiles gently, "It's nothing you need to be concerned about. I…" "If it has anything to do with you, then it most certainly does. So spill it."

When Derek still seems to hesitate, Nixie says, "Please, Derek. What's wrong? Maybe I can help." Smiling again, he bends down to kiss the top of her head, and then sighs in aggravation before explaining. "It's just… there was blood on the floor when we got here. And I should've smelled it right when we walked into the building. And if the Mute really was following me today, I should've caught his scent as well. And I didn't."

Then he looks to her again and shows her the color of his eyes. Still a bright gold, not the shining blue that they were supposed to be. Frowning, Nixie asks, "Is this still because of what Kate did to you?" "I don't know. I've never heard of anything like this happening before. It's beyond me. All I know is, I was fine before she buried me in an Aztec church."

Nodding, Nixie sighs and says, "Yeah. I've heard that does tend to bum a person out." Derek, who had gone back to looking at the school, slowly turns to look at her again. Narrowing his eyes, though his grin takes any heat out of it, he asks, "Oh? And we have jokes now?" "Nope. But we do have sarcasm. There is never a shortage on sarcasm. I come fully stocked, twenty-four-seven."

Chuckling, he then tilts his head to listen to the school again. Nixie glances between him and the school, and then asks worriedly, "What? Is everything alright? Jordan's still fine, right?"

Derek nods, but then pauses and turns to her again. Smirking a little, he asks, "By the way, since when does the sheriff's deputy get you random cups of coffee? And apparently, make them the very same way Stiles makes them for you?"

Nixie can't prevent the blush that suddenly rushes to her cheeks. Turning away, she says, "Stiles taught him how. He… wanted to thank me for saving him and Noah when the Oni came that night. So, he knows how to make my coffee. It's not a big…" But Derek interjects, "And since when are you on a first name basis with the deputy?" Giving Derek a look, she says, "I called him Jordan this one time. Geez. It's not like…" "Nixie, don't even start with me. We all know that, at least where the adults are concerned, you don't call them by their first name unless you like them and trust them. A lot." "Well, I call Noah by his first name!" "Noah is like your dad. And Melissa is like your mom. Chris and I are friends. But Jordan…"

Giving Derek a slight glare, Nixie says, "You haven't answered my question. Is he alright?" "Parrish is fine. So is Noah. Now, back to what I was discussing." Derek's smirk just grows as the blush continues spreading across Nixie's cheeks. Finally, she huffs and steps out of the car. Moving to pace, she says, "Jordan is good and he can be trusted. I don't know what more you want me to say. Calling him by his last name… feels wrong."

Derek stops teasing at that. Tilting his head, he asks sincerely, "Wrong?" Nixie nods, and then sighs and says, "I don't know how to explain it Derek. He's Jordan. That's the best I've got right now. He's the best deputy at the station. He's a very good man that we can trust. And… I don't want to call him Parrish."

And as that thought solidifies in her head, she blushes again when Derek says, "Don't worry Nix. Your secret is safe with me." "I have no idea what you're talking about." "And I actually think that, at least for right now, maybe you really don't know what I'm talking about." When Nixie throws him a confused look, he smiles gently again. "You'll figure it out, Nixie. In fact, I'm certain Lydia will help you figure it out; sooner rather than later."

She doesn't question him about what he's talking about again. Nixie is just glad he drops it so she can stop blushing. And what is there to blush about? She's concerned with Jordan's safety. He was dismantling a bomb! It was an incredibly valid concern.

And as she keeps thinking about that, her pacing becomes more agitated. And though Derek tries to assure her verbally that everything is still fine, he doesn't dare try to get in the way of her pacing. He'd wager that she'd just walk right through him at this point.

As Noah and Jordan exit the building later, Noah sighs and says, "Uh oh." Jordan follows his gaze to where Nixie and Derek are beside his cruiser… Nixie pacing back and forth in front of Derek in a worried fashion. Shaking his head, Noah says, "Come on. We better go make sure she's not about to walk a trench into the parking lot."

Within the span of time that they've been inside disarming the bomb, two other officers have arrived, and are now able to head inside and gather up all of the bomb components in evidence bags and boxes. Noah sends them in, and then as he and Jordan get to the cruiser with Nixie and Derek, he asks, "How long she been pacing?"

Derek shrugs and says, "About five minutes after Parrish went inside is when she started. I wouldn't harp too much on her about it though. It was either that, or risk her tapping a hole straight through the floorboard of the car." Nixie looks up at all three of them and says, "Hello. I'm right here."

Grinning, Derek says, "Yes, we know. I told you they were fine." "Yeah, well, excuse me for wanting visual confirmation as well." Turning to Noah, she asks, "So… you alright?" He nods, and when she gives him a doubtful look, he nods to Derek and says, "He did as he promised he would. He looked out for me. I'm fine. I promise."

Nixie nods in approval after a moment, and then snaps her eyes to Jordan. He had been about to walk away, to the trunk so he could remove his gear. He already had the thick torso guard off, when he froze as Nixie asks, "And where are you going?" Turning to her, he says, "To get out of this getup." She raises an eyebrow, and then says, "There's a system here. Learn it. Derek's alright. I've confirmed Noah's alright. Now, are you alright?"

He stares at her for a moment, and then says, "I'm fine. But why so worried? I mean…" Nixie's eyes widen as she looks at him, and then she exclaims, "Why on earth would I not be worried?! You were in the school! Disarming a bomb! A highly lethal and explosive bomb! What part of that leaves any room for me to not be worried?! Someone tell me, please!"

Jordan raises an eyebrow at that, but Noah says gently, "Translated, she was very worried that something was going to go wrong, and we were all going to blow up and die. And if we had, she would've been very unhappy with all of us." Nixie nods and says, "See, Noah gets it. Come on Jordan. Get with the program."

He grins at her a bit, and then says, "Well, I'm fine." "Then what took so long?" He nods to that and says, "Yeah. The wiring was very intricate and it took a while to figure out which wire was going to be the right one to cut. But after that, it was pretty easy."

Nixie nods after a moment, and then sighs. Running a hand over her hair, she says, "Everyone needs to, seriously, stop worrying me so much. I'm too young to be having so many minor heart and anxiety attacks." Noah chuckles and then draws her in for a hug. Then he looks to Derek and asks, "Let me give you a ride home."

He nods his appreciation, and then walks up to Nixie as well. Kissing the top of her head, Derek says, "Be careful Nixie. I'll see you later." "You better." He chuckles, and then walks with Noah back to the cruiser they came in.

Nixie then moves to the back of Jordan's cruiser with him, watching as he removes all of the bomb disposal gear he'd put on earlier. As he's stowing it away, he glances down to see her tapping her heel on the ground in a gentle rhythm. All of this… whatever it was… it still had her deeply worried. Bomb threat gone or not.

Shutting his trunk gently, he leans back against it and asks, "You alright?" She glances over at him, her tapping ceasing in her surprise at the question. Then she says, "Of course. I'm great. You're the one that just diffused a bomb. We're not worried about me. We're worried about you. Very worried. Do you do that often? Is that regular? It shouldn't be. That's extremely dangerous. And I don't' care if you're certified as an IED. There are bomb squads here for a reason. You should've…"

She pauses when Jordan moves to stand in front of her. Putting a gentle hand on her shoulder, he says, "It is not a common occurrence. I went in to identify one bomb last year, and that wasn't even real. This one makes two, and the sheriff probably only asked me to do this because he knows it's late, which means it would've taken the bomb squad even longer to arrive."

Grinning slightly, he asks, "Satisfied?" Nixie stares at him a moment longer, and then grins herself. Laughing softly, she says, "Mostly. Pacified for the moment, in any case." "Good." Leaning back from her, he adds, "You know… you worry too much. I mean… you always seem to be worried. All the time, almost. It's not what I'd call, healthy."

Nixie doesn't argue with him on that, but shrugs and says, "Can't be helped. Everybody I care about always ends up in dangerous situations." Jordan tilts his head at that, a silent question obviously hanging in the air between them now. Why on earth did all her friends have to be at the center of the dangerous activities in this town?

Nixie doesn't elaborate on that point though… even if she is fully aware that's what Jordan would like to know. But it does fill her with relief and appreciation when Jordan doesn't press her for more information.

In truth, Jordan knows he's much closer to the heart of all this than he was even a few hours ago. In the span of this evening, he'd become an even greater confident of the sheriff. He'd managed to impress even Derek Hale, whom Nixie was so fond of.

And, though he suspects it had always been true, he'd gotten verbal confirmation that Nixie trusted him. In fact, her words inside the office had been that Jordan was already a pretty great individual. One in whom there wasn't a whole lot of room for improvement anymore. She trusted him to help them. And if Jordan were to wager a guess… she might trust him even more than she was letting everyone else around her believe.

But all of that could wait to be dug into another day. Because his last revelation of the night had happened only a few minutes ago. And that was from Nixie as well.

She'd said his name. His first name. Not Parrish, like she usually said. Not the beginning of his name, and then a backtracking so she called him by his last name instead. No… this time, she'd called him Jordan, without any hesitation. And it hadn't been lost on him. It had actually taken a great deal of willpower to not just stand there, gaping at her, with his mouth dropped open in surprise.

Bottom line… there would be no more pushing for today. He'd already gotten more in this one evening then he ever expected he'd get in a week's amount of time with her. And besides, if Nixie trusted him, he suspects that all he needs is to exercise a bit more patience, and eventually she'll let him in more.

So he doesn't press. He simply nods towards her side of the cruiser and says, "Come on. Let's get back so you can get home."

But as he starts to guide her there… Nixie can't stop herself. Sure… nothing had actually gone wrong while he'd been in there. But he'd been disarming a bomb, people. A bomb! And Nixie's mind had already run through about fifty different scenarios in which something could've gone wrong, and then Noah and Jordan could've died.

In that respect, it should probably be considered impressive that she managed to wait this long. But not anymore. Jordan had no sooner started pulling her around to her side, when she launched herself at him. Her arms wrapped around his waist in a tight hug, and her head fell naturally onto his chest.

Jordan froze in complete surprise for all of a second. But after that, he simply smiles down at her. Wrapping his arms around her in return, he then can't help chuckling when Nixie says, "Never nearly die again. And I don't know why you're laughing. I'm serious. Don't…" Jordan rubs a hand up her back and shushes her gently before saying, "I know you are. And to be frank, I wasn't aware I'd been close to dying this time. But, I will do my utmost to try and prevent it happening in the future. I make no promises, except that I'll try."

Sighing against him, Nixie nods and says, "I'll take it. Thank you, Jordan." "Anytime, Nixie."

* * *

She's just laid down on the floor, a bag under her head for a pillow, and a spare blanket she had draped over her to keep warm. Scott had already called to inform her that, while the night hadn't gone quite as planned, it had gone pretty well. Chris had shown up, explaining that he'd gotten her calls and Scott's texts, and then went out to help them.

Nixie sent Chris a 'thank you' text, and was about ready to fall asleep, when her phone rang again. Glancing at it, she answers, "Hey Lydia. What's up?" "Hi Nix. So, has Scott already talked to you?" "Yeah. By the way, was that Mason kid actually able to clean the carpet?" "No, he couldn't find any club soda anywhere. He was really sweet though." "Noted. Don't worry. I'll get around to it as soon as possible." "Thanks."

Then Lydia sighs and says, "So… I guess you know that Malia has control now?" "Yep." "Good. So, that leaves the fact that I managed to decipher a third of my freaky math notes." Sitting up off the floor, Nixie asks, "And what are they?" "Remember how I told you they were a cipher?" "Yeah. And you needed a key word to crack it." "Exactly. And… well, I found the word. Some voices from… um… inside the music room at the lake house told me."

And Lydia can't help but smile when, without even missing a beat, Nixie says, "Well, make sure you thank them for both of us. Now, what does this third of the notes show you?" "It shows me one third of what must be an entire list of names. I'm sending you a picture now."

Nixie holds the phone away from her face so she can see it. And this third of the list is as follows…

SEAN WALCOTT – 250

DAVID WALCOTT – 250

MICHAEL WALCOTT – 250

CHRISTINA WALCOTT – 250

LYDIA MARTIN – 15

SCOTT MCCALL – 25

DEMARCO MONTANA – 250

DEREK HALE – 5

CARRIE HUDSON – 500

KAYLEN BETTCHER – 250

KIRA YUKIMARA – 5

ELIAS TOWN – 250

Putting the phone back to her ear, Nixie sighs and says, "Please don't tell me that is what I think it is." Lydia replies worriedly, "I'm afraid so. It's a dead pool. A dead pool with all of the supernatural creatures in Beacon Hills. And… Nixie… we're all on it."

Silence reigns for a moment, and then Lydia can't help but agree when Nixie sighs, "Well, shit. Have you sent this to everyone else?" "Not yet. Kira was with me. She knows. You think I should give it to everyone?" "Give it to Stiles at least, for now. He can put it up on his board; maybe put something together or find a connection that we can't. We'll talk about it with everyone else tomorrow. Sound good?" "Yeah. See you then." "See ya."

Nixie lays back for a moment to contemplate what she just heard. Then she hops up and goes over to her school bag. Pulling out a thick black sharpie marker from one of the pockets, she then looks to the picture on her phone again, and then starts scrawling the names onto one of the tan walls in the room. She'd already dusted all of them off with a rag earlier, so it was easy now. And besides, she wouldn't really call this vandalism. Vandalism implied that someone would eventually come back and be offended by what you'd written. And no one was coming down here any time soon. That was for certain.

When she's finished, she also marks off the names that have already been taken care of. All of the Walcott's, and according to Scott, Demarco Montana had also been found dead tonight. So… yeah. Just because the mute was gone, didn't mean their troubles were over. There was more than one assassin in this town.

Nixie hopes that they're, at the very least, smart enough to leave her people alone. Because heaven help the pitiful idiot that tried to kill a member of her pack.

Hell would freeze over first. And a deep chill sweeps through the room as Nixie ponders what she'll do to the person that comes even close to killing her friends.

* * *

Chapter 4! This ended up being a lot longer then I'd imagined it would. Hope you still enjoyed it thoroughly. :)


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: "I do not own Teen Wolf. The show, the characters, and any quotes from the show belong to Jeff Davis and his amazing team of writers. I only own Nixie, and anything I make her do or say."

* * *

Chapter 5: Episode 4x5

Stiles has just handed over the list to his dad, inside his office at the sheriff's station. That's when Nixie walks in. Closing the door behind her, offering Jordan a smile before she shuts it completely, she then turns back to the others and says, "Sorry I'm late. Where are we?" Stiles points to the list and says, "I was just telling him that Lydia is the one who found the list." "Right."

Noah nods, but then asks, "How?" Stiles answers, "She wrote it. Well, actually, she transcribed it… without realizing it." Noah sighs and asks, "Banshee?" Stiles confirms, "Banshee." "Beautiful. Alright, well, what are these numbers next to the names?" Stiles points and is about to explain, but Nixie holds up a hand and says, "Get to that later. Explain the other thing first."

Noah would protest… but Scott holds up a hand to him and then glances back at Nixie.

Having to deal with a dead pool wasn't the thing that bothered her the most. They'd dealt with psychotic werewolves and hunters. They'd handled Oni, an alpha pack, and a severely whacked out darach. Scott knows that Nixie is confident in their ability to handle the assassins about to be thrown their way.

But what bugged her about all of this… was the name that had been used as the first cipher key to break the code. And as Stiles explains that it was 'Alison' that had been used to break it, Noah turns back to Nixie in understanding.

Some bastard was using the name of their beloved friend as a code word in a dead pool meant to target and kill them. A friend who was dead and had sacrificed much to try and keep her friends safe and out of harm.

Nixie has already apologized to Scott in advance for the threats she may make towards this individual. And he honestly can't find it in him to be mad at her for wanting to kill them at this point. He'll work on that later… when he's gotten over Alison's name being the cipher key.

Scott puts a hand on Nixie's shoulder, squeezing it comfortingly, while Stiles tells Noah, "Her name broke a third of the list." Nodding, Scott adds, "And we think there's two other cipher keys." And Nixie looks up and finishes, "Which will give us the rest of the names."

Noah looks between all three of them, and then nods, "Okay. So, how do we get the cipher keys?" Sighing, Stiles says, "Same way we got the code. Lydia." Scott nods, "She's been at the lake house all weekend, trying to find the other two keys words."

At which point, Stiles and Scott turn to Nixie again. Looking over at them, she shakes her head and says, "She hasn't had any other luck in the quiet room. Malia, Kira, and I are taking shifts staying with her. But at this point… I don't think it makes any sense to stay in there any longer. Plus, Lydia hasn't eaten anything since lunch yesterday. I told them to give her another hour. After that, they're taking her to get food and then we'll head to school to try something else."

Stiles nods and asks, "Is she alright?" Sighing, Nixie says, "She's alright. Not worried about going crazy or anything like that. She's more frustrated than anything else."

As Noah flips through a few more of his crime scene photos, he says to Scott, "You didn't know about Demarco or Carrie. Right?" Scott nods in confirmation, and then Noah adds, "And what about the other two names on this list that I don't recognize. Kayleen Bettcher and Elias Town? Are they werewolves too?"

Scott can only shake his head and say, "I don't know. But Deaton warned us that the Nemeton would draw supernatural creatures here." Nixie nods and adds, "Which, if I may say, it did. We now have foxes in our midst. And we apparently had wendigos as well. So, spot on. At least, on that point." Stiles nods in agreement, but then they all look to Noah when he asks, "Okay, but wait. Are we talking about 'here', meaning Beacon Hills? Or Beacon County? The population of Beacon Hills is just under thirty-thousand people."

Without missing a beat, Stiles adds, "And dropping." His father gives him a look, but Stiles grins when Nixie holds up her hand behind Scott's back for a high-five. Noah gives them both a look at that, but then says, "Anyways… but if we're talking Beacon County? Then you're looking at closer to… five- hundred-thousand."

Nixie, Scott, and Stiles all look at each other worriedly. They'd already thought of that possibility. That the range of people they needed to worry about had been expanded exponentially, since giving power back to the Nemeton. But, they had also already debunked that theory, based on the numbers beside each name.

As Noah watches them ponder that, he sits down and asks in frustration, "Look… how many werewolves, banshees, kitsunes… and whatever the hell else is out there… are we talking about here? And also, what happens if the next cipher key uncovers not twelve names, but one-hundred?" Stiles pops in and says, "We don't think there will be that many." Scott nods, "There's a limit, because of the numbers."

Before Noah can ask why they think that, Nixie explains, "We think that after we get the rest of it deciphered, all the numbers will add up to one-hundred-seventeen." To her, Noah asks, "One-hundred-seventeen what?" "Million."

Stiles takes the paper back to right down the Ks and Ms on the paper, which stand for thousands and millions of dollars that is offered for each individual on the page. While he does that, Nixie says, "It's the money that was stolen from Peter out of the Hale vault at the school. Whoever took it is using it to finance all of these murders." Scott adds, "Someone who wants every supernatural in Beacon Hills dead."

Noah looks to Nixie and asks, "The Benefactor?" She nods in answer. Noah sighs, "So… the coded list goes out. Somehow these professional assassins get that list." Stiles adds, "And the cipher keys." Noah nods, "And then they go after the names on the list. And by they, I mean killers with no mouths, tomahawks, thermo-cut wires that can take your head off…" Nixie nods and says, "Yeah, all of that really bad stuff. Apparently professional assassins don't believe in just using a good ole reliable shotgun. Imagine that."

Noah gives her a look, but grins in spite of himself. Stiles then points out, "Actually, Carrie was also stabbed. Dad, what's this mark around the stab wound." Nixie glances down at the hexagonal shape that circles where the knife penetrated the skin. Noah answers, "We're not sure yet. We're waiting on the M.E.'s report."

As they stand there for a second pondering that, Noah poses another question. "There's one other thing I don't get right now. How did this new assassin know that Demarco was going to be at the lake house?" Scott answers, "Everyone knows he delivers kegs to teenagers for a little extra cash."

Noah looks at both boys and sighs, really wishing they didn't know that. But he perks up and even smiles when Stiles points out, "Nixie didn't know that." Nixie looks up from the pictures to see all of them. Then she shrugs and asks, "Why would I need to know that? I don't like beer. I mean… I guess I could handle some beer. But most of it tastes awful. So again… why would I need to know that?"

Noah chuckles and says, "Though I am slightly disappointed that you've apparently tried several different beers, I'm glad you don't like it. Saves me a little bit of trouble." Nixie smiles up at him, and then Noah looks back at the list and says, "So… whoever ordered the keg that night, killed Demarco." Stiles nods, "Yeah. Someone at the party." Scott adds, "A student."

And though the situation was growing more dire by the second, they all grin when Nixie says, "I don't know what you all look so glum about. The fact that it's a student just means I have easier access to them so I can kick their ass. Hard. I'm talking, when I'm finished, they'll already be six feet under the ground. No casket. No burial ceremony. Just dead and buried already. And what on earth are you laughing at Stiles? I'm dead serious."

As they're heading out and preparing to leave, Nixie pinches the bridge of her nose for a moment. Taking a deep breath, she prepares to face this day on her exceptionally little amount of sleep. That's when Jordan, from his desk, says, "Nixie."

Turning to him, she asks, "Yeah? What's up, Jordan?" He smiles gently, and then taps the end of his highlighter against the top of a to-go cup at the edge of his desk. Nixie glances at it in confusion for a moment, but then she smiles and takes it from his desk. She takes in a whiff of the warm smell that is distinctly her coffee, and then sighs and says, "You are my favorite person today, Jordan." Chuckling, he says, "If that's what it takes, I'll start making that part of my morning routine."

Nixie laughs at him, ignoring the look that Stiles and Scott are both giving her from the doorway. And as she moves to join them, preparing to leave, she pauses as Jordan returns to highlighting key sentences in reports on his desk.

Using the orange highlighter. The one he'd opened up new for her to use. The one she'd held between her teeth. The one he was now using regularly on all of his reports.

Nixie couldn't have hidden her grin if she'd wanted to. Biting her lower lip briefly, she then says, "Thanks, Jordan." He glances up with a smile of his own, "Anytime, Nixie."

And after she takes off on her bike for school, Scott and Stiles hang back a minute. Once Scott is sure she's out of range for her own special hearing to pick them up, he asks, "You heard that too, right?" Stiles nods and says, "She's calling him Jordan now. When did that start?" Scott shrugs, and then asks, "And how does he know how to make her coffee? I thought only you knew that." "Well, that one's on me. Parrish convinced me to teach him, since Nixie was hanging out at the station even more than I was, and he wanted a small way to thank her for saving them all from the Oni last year."

Scott nods, and then says, "She likes him." Stiles nods, and then adds, "And just to clarify, we're not just talking about the way she likes us or likes Liam or… well, likes everyone else." Scott nods and says, "She really likes him."

They stay quiet for a moment, and then Scott laughs when Stiles says, "Eventually we should tell him that if he ever breaks her heart, we'll kill him. Well… you'll kill him. I'll help get rid of the body."

* * *

Nixie is just walking into the room when she hears Lydia say, "Please stop hovering."

Malia leans back only slightly from Lydia's shoulder, and then says, "I'm not hovering. I'm waiting. Draw something. Write something. We need to know who else is on that list."

And Nixie doesn't miss the exceptionally annoyed tone Lydia uses when she says, "You mean, you need to know if you're on the list." Rolling her eyes, Malia says, "If someone's coming to take my head off, then yeah, I'd like to know."

Lydia closes her eyes and tries to concentrate again, but Malia leans in closer, literally almost completely on top of her. Finally, Lydia just snaps, "Can you please just sit down?! You're making me nervous."

And though Malia does move, she doesn't miss how Lydia's entire form seems to slump in relief when Nixie says from the doorway, "And a nervous Lydia has never boded well for anyone in the past. Trust me. I have experience with this."

Coming up to Lydia's side, smiling gently, Nixie asks, "Any luck?" "No." Nodding, Nixie says, "Well, don't try so hard." "I have to try." "I know. But not so hard. You wrote down the entire cipher without even trying at all. So don't stress so much about this. We'll get there. Just take a breath." Lydia takes a deep breath in, and then lets it out. And as Nixie squeezes her shoulders from behind, giving her a gentle massage, Lydia leans back into her. Resting her head on Nixie's collar, she says, "I have a headache. And I'm so tired."

And Lydia grins when she hears a bottle of pills rattle as Nixie pulls them from her bag. That, and a bottle of water appear in front of her as Nixie reaches around. Lydia takes three of the ibuprofen pills and then downs half the bottle. Handing it back, she asks, "How did you know?" Nixie shrugs and says, "I hate headaches, so I am always prepared to prevent them. You should know this by now. Anyways, take a breather. Rest." "But…" "Don't argue with me. Or the next drink I give you will be dosed with Nyquil."

Lydia has just closed her eyes, when Malia says, "Guys… maybe we need help. From another banshee." They both turn to look at the book she was reading, and then Lydia says, "Meredith."

While Malia and Lydia ponder how they might call to figure out how to contact her, Nixie suddenly hands her phone forward for Lydia to see. "It's ringing." Lydia smiles and takes the phone, but pauses upon seeing the screen. She quickly puts the phone to her ear, afraid of missing the chance to talk to whoever picks up. But she commits to memory just another one of the things she needs to talk to Nixie about when she finds a minute.

Because there are a lot of numbers that Nixie has. Everyone knows that. But the fact that Eichen House is Nixie's number one speed dial… that was not something that Lydia could overlook. Not forever, anyways.

As they walk down the hall later, heading to go have lunch with the others, Lydia says, "They said that Meredith can't have visitors without permission from a family member." Malia comments bluntly, "That's not going to be easy since her whole family is dead." Lydia gives her a look and says, "Perfect."

As Malia suggests going back to the art or music room, Lydia turns to her and snaps, "I'm not plucking piano strings for two hours, waiting on some supernatural inspiration?" Malia simply shrugs and asks, "Fine. What else do banshees do?" "You think I know?!" Malia shrugs again, and honestly looks like she's about to say something else. Except Nixie gives her a look that clearly tells her to shut up. Lydia comes up to Malia and says, "I can't just turn this on. I'm not like you guys. I don't have claws or glowing eyes, or super senses. I just have voices in my head!"

Malia doesn't say anything, but she does glance around to see some of the other students looking at them in the hall. She also notes with surprise, that they all suddenly start turning sharply away, as though avoiding looking at them was suddenly their top priority.

And when Malia looks back to Lydia, Nixie is right next to her, an arm wrapped around her. And sharp blue eyes, cold as steel, are glaring at everyone that dares to glance their way as they walk past. Squeezing Lydia gently, Nixie says, "Take it easy." "But I…" She squeezes Lydia firmly, and then says softly, "This is just a bump in the road. We'll just have to come up with a new angle to work with. In the meantime, let's get some food and see if anyone else has had any better luck today."

Kissing the side of Lydia's head, Nixie adds, "Just breathe. We'll figure this out."

Lydia nods after a moment, and then begins leading the way to the cafeteria. Malia makes to follow, but then jerks in surprise when Nixie slaps her in the back of the head. Turning to her, Malia says, "Owe. What…" But Nixie just points to her and says, "I get that 'people skills' are still not something you possess in great capacity. We all know that. But if you continue to stress out my best friend because you're worried about being on this damn list, then I will find a way to have you declawed."

Gentling her gaze, Nixie says, "Until we have the whole list, work under the assumption that you are, in fact, on it. Beyond that, be helpful. Not a nuisance. We've got enough problems without you sending Lydia into a frenzied tailspin." Malia nods in understanding, and then they hurry to follow Lydia down the hall, hoping that the others will have had better luck so far today.

* * *

Nixie had just started in on her potatoes, happy to be eating something substantial again, when Stiles flops himself into the seat next to her. Huffing, he blurts out, "He's on the lacrosse team."

Nixie and Lydia look at each other… but both also shake their heads. They don't have a clue what he's talking about yet. And when Stiles doesn't elaborate right away, Nixie nudges his arm and says, "That statement applies to several people. Two of whom are sitting at this very table. Use the rest of your words, Stiles. Explain."

He gives her a brief look, but then says, "The stab marks that were on Carrie Hudson's body? The hexagon shape that surrounded each one?" Nixie nods, and then sighs when Stiles says, "It makes the shape of the end of a lacrosse stick. So someone has daggers hidden up lacrosse sticks." Nodding again, Nixie says, "Great." "Exactly."

Scott then leans forward from his seat in between Kira and Lydia, "Which means we need to try and keep Liam off the field, if that's possible." They all nod in agreement, but then both boys look to Nixie when she scoffs, "Fat chance of making it happen though."

When she finds everyone now looking at her, she leans back and asks, "What?" Raising an eyebrow, Scott asks, "Why won't we be able to bench him?" "Because Coach is definitely going to want him to play tonight. And Liam isn't going to want to sit out on this game." When Scott and Stiles still look confused, Nixie asks, "You guys do know who you're playing, right?" Stiles turns to her and says, "We've been a little preoccupied trying to determine who the latest assassin is. So, please enlighten us, oh brilliant one."

Now Nixie gives him a look, but then explains, "You're playing Devenford Prep. Liam's old school. And you know they have to still be pissed about what he did to that teacher's car last year."

Everyone nods to that, and then Scott and Stiles go about trying to figure out how to get Liam benched. Stiles then looks over at Lydia and starts to ask, "So, how is it coming with…"

He pauses when Nixie grips his wrist gently on the table. Shaking her head, she says, "We are not talking about that right now. Currently, it is a forbidden topic of conversation. We will come back to it later, with a fresher perspective and brighter spirits. Until then, all talk about ciphers and key words is banned from all conversation."

Lydia grins over at Nixie, appreciating the space she's created for her. Lydia really did need to just take her mind off of it for a while. Perhaps something would occur to her without her even realizing it.

Which is why Nixie had already appointed herself to 'Lydia duty'. Because if Lydia was going to figure something out unconsciously, someone needed to be around to witness it so they didn't have to waste time figuring it out later.

Stiles smiles at Nixie too, seeing that she'll be taking care of Lydia, in spite of the very real threat of assassins on the lacrosse field. Besides, just because they knew a lacrosse player was an assassin, it didn't mean that they were the only assassin. Plus, Lydia was on the list, so someone definitely needed to watch her.

Then Stiles asks, "By the way, my dad didn't give me many details about what happened at the school last Friday. Just that there was a bomb?" Nixie nods and says, "Yeah. To recap, your dad and Derek went there, found the bomb, and then found the mute. Derek kept your dad safe. Peter showed up and killed the mute; being the complete dumbass that he is."

Everyone chuckles at that, and then Nixie says, "And then Jordan was called in to dismantle the bomb. And nobody blew up, so I'd call it a success." She returns to eating her food… until Scott asks, "Jordan?"

He and Stiles looked at each other with a nod, and then Nixie lifts her head and says, "Yeah. That's his name." Scott nods, but adds, "Yeah, but you usually call him Parrish." "And I have recently grown tired of doing that. So now I'm calling him Jordan."

She shovels in another mouthful of food, but pauses again when Kira says, "But… you've liked him the best at the station the whole time, and you still called him Parrish to begin with. Now you're calling him Jordan? What changed?" "Nothing. Calling him Parrish never felt right. I just… thought I was supposed to. But he apparently doesn't care either way, so it doesn't matter."

When Nixie looks up again, she finds all eyes on her once more. Sighing, she swallows down the food in her mouth, and then throws out her hands and asks, "What?" Stiles shrugs and asks, "What do you mean 'what'?" She gives him a look, "Every single one of you is giving me the exact same look, and I don't have a damn clue what it means. So somebody just spit it out. What's going on? What did I miss?"

Everyone looks around at each other for a bit, and then Lydia leans forward, closer to Nixie across the table. "Nixie… why didn't you start calling him by his first name to begin with?" "I already told you. I thought I was…" But Lydia waves that explanation away and says, "You're supposed to call Noah by his title, Sheriff. But you've never done that either, no matter what anyone has ever said about it. So… why did you call Jordan by his last name to start with, if you already liked him enough to use his first name?"

Nixie stares at her for a bit, and then ducks her head down a bit before saying, "Because it makes no sense." "What doesn't?" "Me… liking him this much already. We barely know him. So… that's why. Satisfied?" Lydia tilts her head and asks, "How much do you like him? The same as Stiles and Scott?" "No." "Same as Noah and Melissa?" "No." "Same as Derek?" "No."

Raising an eyebrow, Stiles asks, "Then how would you compare it, because…" Huffing a running a hand through her hair, Nixie says, "I don't know, alright. I don't like him the same way I have ever liked anybody else. It's… it's…" She struggles to find the word to explain it, and then settles on, "More. It's more. And I don't know why."

Everyone looks at each other again, and then Lydia says simply back to her, "You like him." "We already established that." Lydia smiles gently and says, "No, Nixie. I don't mean you just 'like' him. I mean that you _like_ him. As in you want him to be more than just a friend. You want him to be more like… like what Scott and Kira have, or what Malia and Stiles have. You want him like that. You 'like' him, like that."

Shrugging, Lydia decides to downplay it slightly for now, and says, "You have a crush on him."

Nixie stares at her across the table, and then says, "That… no… that's not…" "Have you ever had a crush on anyone before?" "Well, no, but…" "Then it actually makes sense for you to be so confused about it. You've never felt this way for anyone before, so you didn't recognize it." Then Lydia grins and says, "That's what you have me for. I saw it right off."

Snapping her eyes back to Lydia, Nixie asks, "First of all, I'm not stupid. I know what a crush is and I'd know if I felt that way, at least. But second, and more importantly, why are you just explaining this to me now if you saw it right off?" "Because I wanted to see more of it before I confirmed it officially. And I have. So there you have it." And to the first part of Nixie's statement, Lydia gives her a look that clearly says 'we'll talk later'. Nixie nods to that, and then says. "Great. Now, can we move on?" Stiles gives her a look and says, "No. This is kind of a revelation for everybody, not just you." "Why?!"

Kira is the one who shrugs and says, "Because you don't date anybody. You don't chase after anybody. You just… you're the only one who never has. I'm the newest one in this group, and even I've picked up on that." "Okay, but do we seriously have to discuss this right now?" Lydia leans forward and says, "Jordan is nice, Nixie. And of all the people you could've started to fall for, he's already as close to our circle of supernatural happenings, then anyone else ever has been. Well, aside from Danny, and he doesn't count in this scenario." Kira then adds, "Which means… well, there's a lot of potential there for something to happen. Between you and him, I mean. And I think we'd all find it… well, kind of great and wonderful; if you could find somebody like that to be with."

Nixie stares around at all of them for a moment, and then says, "Not that I don't appreciate all of you being so attentive to my love-life… or the non-existence of it. But seriously?! We have a dead pool to worry about people! A dead pool! And we're choosing now to concern ourselves with who I might end up dating! Which, can't happen anyways, because he's, like, twenty-four, and I'm barely seventeen now! And on another side note, just FYI, the whole reason I have not dated at all in high school would be because every single time we turn around, shit starts hitting the fan all over again in this town!"

Lydia would argue further at this point; about how they couldn't stop living their lives and thinking about these things, just because shit kept hitting the fan. But Scott speaks up first and says, "Guys… she has a point. We seriously have more important things to worry about right now." Gesturing to Nixie, he adds, "Besides, she can take care of herself, as we've all seen. And if she decides to approach him with this, and he turns her down… well, then we'll pull out all the stops and make sure we hurt him for being such a damn idiot."

Everyone laughs at that, including Nixie. Then they hear the bell from inside ring, so they begin packing up their stuff to head to class.

It's as she's walking towards the building, when Lydia snatches Nixie's wrist and gently tugs her away from everyone else. Staying silent, Nixie lets Lydia lead her all the way to the parking lot and out to her car.

At the trunk, where Lydia begins trading out a few more books for another of their classes later, Nixie waits to see what she wants. Lydia stays silent for a few more seconds, and then asks, "You think they can still hear us?" Blinking in surprise, Nixie says, "Probably not. Scott could if he were trying… but I doubt he is. What's up, Lydia? You have something else to say about Jordan?" "Later. Right now, can I see your jacket?"

Nixie nods and hands it over, not entirely sure what's going on. But as soon as Lydia begins pointing out all the patchwork, Nixie sighs. Lydia looks up at her and asks, "You gonna tell me what happened? Better yet, you wanna show me?" Giving Lydia a look, Nixie says, "We have more important things to…" "Oh, bullshit! Nixie… you were hurt! Maybe you still are hurt! I don't know how old these are or how they happened! But I know you were wearing this when it happened and that means you were in pain at one point. And you didn't tell anybody about it!"

They stare at each other for a moment, and then Nixie asks gently, "What do you want to know?" "Why didn't you tell anyone?" "Because we have more important things to worry about than a few of my minor injuries. If I'd thought it was so severe that I was going to risk dying, I would've told someone. But it wasn't, so I didn't." "Nixie, you should've told us after. I could've…" "There was no point afterwards. By that time, they'd healed over and there was no sense in worrying anyone about it."

They stay silent for a moment more, and then Lydia asks softly, "And no one… no one at all… has any idea? Not Deaton or…" Nixie pauses on that one, and then admits gently, "Alison did." "How?" Grinning a little, Nixie says, "Because she had no sense of personal space. She walked in on me trying to patch myself up in the bathroom. Then she made it so I couldn't avoid telling her."

Lydia stares at her, and then says firmly, "Then you have to tell me from now on." "Lydia, I…" "Nixie, please! You… you do so much for me. And you've put up with a lot from me the past few years. It's… it's the least I can do. So just… so just tell me from now on. Please?"

Nixie ponders it a moment, and then sighs and says, "Fine. But I reserve the right to only tell you when I don't think we're in the middle of a crisis." "I'll take it for now."

They both grin, and then Nixie asks, "Anything else?" "Show me the worst one. Just… I want to see the worst you've had to deal with. Please?" Nixie ponders that one for a long moment. She could just show Lydia one of the smaller ones. Like the one on her hip, or at the back of her shoulder. But… if Lydia was going to demand to see them all at some point anyway… then she'd realize that Nixie had lied this time about what her worst was.

With that in mind, Nixie tentatively lifts up her shirt to reveal the scar on her stomach. The ugly curving wound that Peter had carved into her after she'd bashed his head in with a crowbar.

Lydia's eyes widen in horror at the sight of it. This wound had come before the jacket, so there had been no patchwork that could've prepared her to see this. Hand snapping up to cover her mouth, Lydia asks, "What happened? Who did that to you?" "Peter, back when he was an alpha. He offered to turn me, I refused… this ended up being the price."

Lydia stares a moment more, and then looks up to meet Nixie's gaze. Coming closer, wrapping her arms around Nixie, Lydia says, "If you want, we can go kill him right now. I'll help you. We can stuff him in the trunk and dump him outside of town. No one would even miss him."

Nixie laughs and hugs Lydia in return. Sighing, she says, "I appreciate it. Maybe after we've solved the dead pool, I'll take you up on it."

She slips her coat back on, and as they're heading back towards the school, Lydia says, "And I know that you are smart enough to know what a crush feels like. I just said it that way so Scott and Stiles wouldn't make such a big deal out of it." "Well, then I appreciate that. But this isn't a crush. So, my brilliant friend, what exactly would you call it?" Lydia grins, and then simply says, "You're falling in love with him. Maybe already are. That's what it is." "Love? That's a bit of a jump. We still barely know anything about him." But Lydia counters, "You know he's brave. You know he's patient and kind. You know he's a good person with a moral compass that agrees quite well with your own. And he's one of the only people I've ever seen who isn't afraid to argue his point with you." "You say that like it's a good thing." "Oh, come on, Nixie. You'd never be happy with a man who simply rolled over or ran to hide in a corner every time you glared at him. And Jordan only really ever argues when he thinks what you want to do might put you in danger. Other than that, he's rather agreeable."

Nixie takes a moment to think about that, and then says, "So… I'm falling in love with him?" Lydia nods, and then Nixie sighs and adds, "Great." "Why's that so bad?" "He's older than me." "Age doesn't matter when it comes to the heart, Nixie." Nixie grins over at Lydia, and then says, "Also he's… well, he's kind of wonderful. He's all around wonderful. And dragging him into the supernatural mess that happens to take up all of our time… well, it seems rather not wonderful."

Lydia ponders that, and then says, "I'm still just calling that an excuse. It's a good one, I admit… but just an excuse, regardless." Nixie laughs, and then sighs and says, "Look… I like him. A lot. And he… he makes me blush a lot, and he honestly makes me laugh more than I thought possible. And he… makes me feel safe… even if there isn't really anything wrong at the moment."

Lydia is smiling at all of this, but then frowns when Nixie says, "But he'd never feel the same about me." "And why shouldn't he? You're wonderful too." "I'm wonderful to you guys. I'm sure I'm more of a pain to him. And aside from that, even if there was a remote chance of him feeling something for me… he'd take one look at me beneath all of these clothes and run for the hills."

At Lydia's frown, Nixie says, "I showed you the worst one. I didn't show you all. And he would run from me." "You don't know that. And you should give him more credit. Or at least, give him a chance."

But Lydia can see the worried look on Nixie's face. She really was falling very hard and fast for Jordan Parrish. And in that respect, it also terrified her to think that he might run if he knew all of what she'd willingly gone through to try and protect her friends. She was not ashamed of her scars, not by any means. They were all marks of her bravery and loyalty, and she was proud.

Didn't mean she wouldn't still be hurt if he looked at them and ran for the hills.

Sighing, Nixie asks, "Can we just… drop it for now? Please?" Lydia nods, and then slips her arm through Nixie's. Walking side by side, Lydia asks, "You think we should try the music room next?" "I'm gonna leave that up to you. Wherever you feel like going is where we will go. I'm not an expert on banshee. I have no idea what place would be most helpful to you at this point." Lydia nods and says, "I really wish we could just talk to Meredith." "Yeah. You and me both."

Lydia ponders for a moment, about asking Nixie why Eichen House was number one on her speed dial… but she decides it can wait. She'd already pestered Nixie about far more than she knows Nixie ever wanted to share. So she'll get to that one later.

* * *

It's just before the lacrosse game has begun, and Nixie is about to head up to sit with Lydia and Malia. They hadn't had any other luck with the cipher keys yet, and Nixie had decided that the lacrosse game would be another break for Lydia. Sure… they would also be watching their friends to make sure this kid named Garrett didn't kill them. If Liam was right about it being him. But still… it was a break from ciphers, so that was good.

That is, of course, also when her phone decides to ring.

Meanwhile, about an hour prior to this call, Jordan had been out on a routine patrol. That's when he spotted a figure in dark sweatpants and sweatshirt walking down the road. And he may not have thought anything else of it… except he remembered her as being the young woman he'd had to escort back to Eichen House after she'd broken out some time last year.

He also remembers that, though no one had really said anything about it, Nixie and her friends had kept Meredith from being found as quickly as she should've been.

Given all that, he'd pulled over and stepped out of the car. Walking up to her easily, he'd asked, "Meredith? Do you…" He was about to ask if she needed help getting back to Eichen… but then thought better of it. Besides, something was telling him that this wasn't a coincidence. He'd bet all the money he had that, if he took Meredith down to the station, Nixie and maybe a few others would show up immediately after to talk to her.

And given the mouthless assassin that he'd seen them dealing with before, and the school bomb that he'd had to disarm… maybe they really did need to talk to her… whether it was technically legal for Meredith to be here or not.

So instead, he asked, "Do you need a lift somewhere?" Meredith had looked up at him and then said, "I'm going to the high school." Nodding, Jordan asked, "Beacon High?" When Meredith nodded in confirmation, Jordan added on, "Why are you going there?" "I need to speak with Lydia Martin?"

And Jordan could add Lydia to the list of people he was certain would be showing up at the station soon. Nodding again, Jordan pulled open the door for the backseat of the cruiser and said, "Here. Why don't you let me give you a lift to the station? I'm sure the sheriff can arrange something for you. And then maybe we can figure out how you keep breaking out of Eichen House." "Not hard."

He couldn't help chuckling at her at the time, and once she was settled in, he drove hurriedly to the station. If they really needed to talk to this girl, then he was running out of time to catch the sheriff. Jordan knew he was planning on attending the lacrosse game this evening.

He arrived just in time. Noah was literally preparing to slip on his jacket and rush out the door, when Jordan caught him. "Sheriff. Look, I know you're in a hurry, but I was out on patrol and I found someone walking from the coast to the high school."

Noah took a moment to think about that, and then said in bewilderment, "That's gotta be at least fifteen miles." "Yeah, well… she was pretty determined." And as Jordan nodded over at Meredith, she looked up at the sheriff and said, "I'm looking for Lydia."

Which is when Noah, after taking sometime to make sure no one else was going to do anything to Meredith for a while, called up Nixie. "What's up, Noah?" "Hey Nixie. Is Lydia with you?" "Yeah, why? And where are you? The game's about to start." "I know. And I'm probably going to have to miss this one. I need you to get Lydia down here. And you too. I know you don't like Lydia doing her… well, banshee stuff, on her own."

Frowning, Nixie asks, "Why? What's wrong? Who's dying? Is…" "Nixie, relax. No one is dying. Well, yet anyway. Meredith is here. And she's looking for Lydia." Nixie leans back in surprise, and then makes a thoughtful noise in the back of her throat before saying, "Well, how do you like that? The day's looking up. We'll be there soon."

Hanging up, she says, "Malia." From where she was sitting next to Lydia, Malia glances down to where Nixie is, showing that she'd heard her. Nodding, Nixie says, "Get Lydia down here. We're heading to the station."

When they catch up to her at Lydia's car and Nixie's bike, Lydia asks, "What's going on?" "Meredith is at the station. Noah says she just… showed up looking for you." Lydia smiles wide in relief, and Nixie grins before saying, "So, let's go. Malia, hop on." And after they get situated, they take off down the road for the station, Lydia maintaining a fast pace behind Nixie as they speed down the road.

And though Malia still had a lot to learn about living in the human society, Nixie would give her this much. The girl never complained about Nixie's driving.

When they arrive at the station, Jordan looks up from his desk and glances out the window of the door. The revving of her bike engine was a dead giveaway that it was Nixie. He watches as she and another girl, he thinks her name is Malia, hop off her bike while Lydia pulls up in her car beside where they parked.

Grinning to himself, he says softly, "Figured." And not two seconds later, all three walk into the station looking for Noah.

While they're waiting, Nixie looks over to see Jordan at his desk. And when he looks up to meet her gaze, he raises an eyebrow and says, "It's funny how, not even a whole hour ago, I find an escaped patient from Eichen House… and then you suddenly show up." Nixie grins, "What? Are you surprised to see me?"

Jordan chuckles and says, "No. I called it the moment I saw her walking up the road. I'm just saying… it's quite curious." Nixie doesn't argue that point, but then comes a little closer, ignoring Lydia and Malia's gazes. At the front of his desk, she asks, "You found her?" Jordan nods, "Walking from the coast to the high school." Tilting her head, Nixie asks, "And… you brought her here?"

Pausing in his work, sensing her confusion on that point, Jordan looks up and says, "Yes." She bites her lip now, pondering how to ask him why he would do that without… well, without seeming to offend him with the question. She doesn't want him to think that she would've rather him just taken Meredith back to Eichen… which is maybe what he should've done.

Jordan leans a little closer and says, "She… seemed to really want to talk to Lydia. And given everything that's going on…" He gives her a look and says, "I'm not stupid. Figured it'd be more helpful to bring her here for the moment." Nixie stares at him for a while, a gentle smile spreading over her face as she does. Then she says softly, "Thank you, Jordan." And he smiles back and says, "Anytime, Nixie." "And… just FYI… I know you're not stupid."

Chuckling, Jordan says, "Since I'm your favorite deputy here, I kind of figured that. Nice to have it confirmed though." She blushes, but doesn't deny that he's her favorite deputy.

A deputy she was falling for, apparently. Lord, she needs help.

Then Noah finally walks back into the room. Pulling all three of the girls aside, he whispers to them gently for a moment. Jordan takes this opportunity to go to the lounge room for a moment to grab another cup of coffee.

And… well, let's face it. If Nixie's in the building, he always finds himself making two cups of coffee instead of one.

Noah, back with the girls, says, "Now… I'm aware this is probably about the dead pool, but I can't let her leave the station. And, in about a minute, I'm gonna have to call Eichen House and let them know that she's here. If Parrish weren't so agreeable to the situation, I'd have probably been forced to call it in sooner."

Nixie smiles to herself, seeing that Jordan was going out of his way to try and make it possible for them to talk to Meredith… since that was apparently what needed to happen. Whether he understood it completely or not; Jordan was aware that their involvement in these stranger cases, eventually led to them being solved with as few casualties as possible. That's not to say there weren't casualties… but they did try to keep it at a minimum, if possible.

Lydia nods in response to Noah's words, and then says, "Give us an hour." He looks at her like she's lost her mind, and says, "You've got fifteen minutes." Nixie pats Lydia on the back and says, "Nice try though. 'A' for effort." Lydia grins, and then she and Malia head into the room first.

Nixie is following, but pauses in the doorway when Jordan comes back up to them.

He was at war with himself, at this point. He knew that they needed to talk to Meredith. For whatever that reason was… he knew it. But… he still had a limit to what he was willing to let go without being given some sort of explanation. Or, at the very least, being given a sign that his cooperating with all of this, when they were giving him so little information, wasn't going unnoticed.

Plus, harmless as she looked, Meredith was still a patient from Eichen House. Who was to really say how dangerous she might truly be? And he was not comfortable with Nixie being in there with her. Sure, Noah would be in there too, but…

Well, he couldn't help it. He'd feel better if he knew that he'd be there to make sure nothing happened to her. And yeah, to make sure nothing happened to Lydia and Malia either. But since Jordan is pretty sure Nixie plans on having them covered herself… he'll keep his eye on her.

With all that in mind, Jordan walks up to Noah and asks, "You called Lydia?" Noah turns back to him and says, "Uh… yeah." Jordan doesn't miss Nixie raising an eyebrow at him. It was a question Jordan didn't really need to ask. He'd known, as soon as he brought Meredith in, that Noah would be calling Nixie and Lydia, both.

He simply gave her a glance in return to her raised eyebrow, and then says to Noah, "Because Meredith asked for her, or because of the other thing?" Noah leans back in surprise, and then asks cautiously, "What other thing?"

And Jordan truly doesn't know what else to call it at this point. He glances around to make sure no one else is listening to him, and then answers quietly, "The psychic thing." Noah stares at him for a beat, relieved that he didn't say banshee, but also stunned by this other conclusion. Then he asks, "You think Lydia's psychic?"

Countering Noah's question with his own, Jordan narrows his eyes and asks, "Do you?" Noah crosses his arms and says, "No, I do not. I think that she is… um… intuitive."

And Jordan can't help it. He gives Noah a look that seems to scream, 'you're an idiot', and then says plainly, "That's what they used to call psychics. Intuitionists."

Noah would've probably argued with him more, except that he heard Nixie laughing from behind him. Turning to look at her, he asks, "And what is so funny?" She shrugs helplessly and says, "I have no idea. But he's not wrong." Noah gives her a look, and then darts his eyes back to Jordan before looking at Nixie again. The silent question now hung in the air. Was Nixie alright with letting Jordan in again? Did she trust him that much?

And it must've spoken volumes when Nixie nodded immediately in response, because Noah leans back in surprise. And Jordan feels honored, beyond words, that Nixie apparently has that much faith in him. So much so that it actually shocks everyone else when she decides to include him in what their currently doing.

Noah stares at her a moment more, and then Nixie says, "We're down to fourteen minutes. We don't have time to waste." And though she blushes when she adds it, she says firmly, "We can trust him. So get him in here and shut the door. And be snappy about it, please." Jordan chuckles slightly at her, and Noah looks at him now to give him a look. Then he sighs and says, "And I used to call myself a rational human being. Just get in here and shut the door."

As Jordan walks in, Lydia raises an eyebrow at Nixie, a knowing smirk on her face. Nixie simply narrows her eyes in a silent threat, daring Lydia to say anything. Then she nods towards Meredith and says, "We're short on time. Let's go."

While Lydia stands before Meredith, handing over her phone; Nixie moves to stand near Noah's desk. Jordan moves silently to stand to her right, and watches all of them for a moment. Lydia and Malia were focused on Meredith, on getting her to talk to them. Noah was focused on Meredith as well, seeing if she would cooperate.

Nixie, on the other hand, was keeping her eyes on the entirety of the situation. From her position, she could see the doors, Meredith, both Lydia and Malia, and from the side of her eye, she could see Noah as well.

She was guarding them… as Jordan suspects she was always trying to do in situations like this.

Nixie was watching them closely, hoping that Meredith would be able to help them. That's when she felt a gentle bump against her shoulder. Glancing at Jordan, she then looks down to see the coffee cup he's holding out to her. The smile that slips onto her face when she sees it is completely worth it. Taking a sip, she sighs as she soaks it in, and then whispers for him to hear, "You have probably saved some poor, annoying kid's life, in the near future. You should be proud."

He grins over at her, and then nods his approval before joining her in looking at Meredith again.

After another moment of nothing with the phone, Lydia asks, "Meredith, aren't you going to answer it?" Meredith smiles sweetly at all of them, but Nixie still has to pinch the bridge of her nose when Meredith says, "It's not ringing."

Nixie reminds herself that she was not the one allowed to get frustrated right now. Lydia's smile had already tightened as she tried to maintain patience. Nixie had far more patience to expend, and she knew she'd need to if they all wanted to get through this without losing their heads. And for Lydia, it was more than just not having the answer they needed. Meredith was the only other banshee they knew… the only other person that had the same gifts as Lydia.

And Meredith was institutionalized… seen as insane and out of her mind. And yeah… maybe Meredith wasn't, exactly, all there. But she was far from insane; and she'd still been put there.

But Lydia didn't need to worry about that ever happening to her. Nixie would create a mass grave for all the people she'd go through, in order to make sure no one ever dared put her in a place like that. Lydia was not crazy. She was not insane. And Nixie… well, she would be the one to know.

Nixie knows what insane looks like. Her mother, when in the grips of an episode, was insane. Meredith didn't even come close. Meredith was still herself, and still rather smart, in her own way. And that's where the patience came in. Meredith would help… but you had to work for it. You had to read between the lines of what she was telling you, and go from there.

Pacing for a moment, Lydia then bends down in front of Meredith and says, "Meredith… you came here to help us. Remember?" Meredith smiles again and says, "You called me." Tilting her head, Lydia asks, "What do you mean I called you?" "I heard you."

Lydia just stares at her for a moment, and then glances back at Nixie. But Nixie just shrugs in confusion as well, before taking another sip of her coffee. Jordan watches her eyebrows come together as she tries to decipher how Meredith could've possibly heard Lydia. Then he hears her mutter, "We're running out of time. Shit."

Nixie jumps slightly when Jordan takes her free hand and lifts it. He places his coffee cup in her grip, and then steps forward slightly and asks gently, "Meredith, can I ask you a question?" Meredith glances from him to Nixie briefly, and then looks back to him and nods with a smile. Lydia stands up straight and is about to protest his involvement, but Nixie shakes her head so Lydia doesn't interfere. It's not like they were getting anywhere with Meredith. What could it hurt to let Jordan try?"

Bending down to Meredith's level, he asks, "When you need help… when you need to find something, is there someone you reach out to? Maybe someone you call?" He tilts his head enough so he can glance back at Nixie. She grins at him slightly before darting her eyes back to Meredith, who answers, "It depends. Different people for different things."

Nixie raises an eyebrow at that, and then glances at Lydia to see if she understands. But Lydia is just looking at Jordan and Meredith as though they're aliens from another planet right now. But… you know, in a good way. Good aliens.

As though to emphasize that, Lydia turns to Nixie. Pointing down at Jordan, who isn't looking at them right now, she then gives Nixie a thumb's up, as though approving of the man that Nixie's heart is apparently set on.

And as Noah glances between all of them, Nixie can't help but to think, _"Great. Just what I need. Noah freaking out about me falling in love with an older man while I'm still a minor. Just freaking great."_

Back to Meredith, Jordan asks, "So, maybe there's a number that can help us? Someone we can call?" Meredith thinks on that for a moment, and then says, "Yes."

Lydia and Nixie look at each other again, both grinning at the sudden progress they're managing to make after a day of nothing. Jordan then asks, "Would you be okay telling us?" "Yes." As Lydia takes her phone back, preparing to type in the digits, Meredith says, "It's two… four… three… six."

They wait for more, but when Lydia looks back up from her phone, Meredith is clearly finished. She's smiling even, like she's just been the biggest help she possibly could be. Frowning, Malia says, "Mer, we need a few more numbers." But Meredith simply shakes her head and says, "No. That's the number." Malia counters, "Phone numbers are ten digits." "That's the number."

Nodding to herself, Nixie says, "Alright. So let's…" But Lydia closes her eyes in aggravation before snapping, "Meredith, phone numbers always have ten digits." Meredith, growing a bit worried and agitated now, says again, "That's the number." "Meredith…"

As Noah pulls Lydia back, Nixie frowns as she continues looking at Meredith, who has begun fiddling frantically with her fingers and the ends of her sleeves. Nixie might not know very much about Meredith… but it didn't take a genius to know that this was a first sign to the banshee entering a full on panic mode. And a panicked banshee was not a problem they needed added to their list right now.

Taking a step closer herself, she hears Noah tell Lydia, "I think that's the best we're gonna get." But Lydia shakes her head and says, "No. No, there has to be more." Turning back to Meredith, even Nixie jumps a little when Lydia demands, "What's the rest of it, Meredith? Hmm? Just concentrate!"

Meredith's entire body begins twitching as she says, "But that's… that's… that's the number." Moving closer, trying to get between them, Nixie says, "Lydia, she's…" But Lydia is past listening. All weekend at the lake house and all day today, they'd gotten nothing. And now, they still weren't any closer. So Lydia simply shouts, "Concentrate!"

Jordan had been moving to maybe grab Meredith if need be. The poor girl looked like she was about to have a break down. But everyone snapped their attention to Nixie and Lydia when they all heard the loud smack come from their direction.

Lydia's eyes widen as she touches the back of her head. Looking to Nixie, she says, "You… you just… You've almost never…" Nixie gives her a look and says, "You're the smart one, which means you usually don't do anything stupid enough to make me feel like I need to smack you in the head. But make no mistake… just because it's rare doesn't mean it can't happen."

They stare at each other for a moment, and then Lydia says desperately, "All day… all day we've…" Nixie nods and says, "And all weekend. I know." Putting a hand on Lydia's shoulder, Nixie says, "Take a breath for me." She does, and then Nixie says, "Now look at her."

Lydia looks down at Meredith, who is sitting there shaking, rocking back and forth, her expression becoming more panicked by the second. Back to Nixie, sorrow in her eyes, Lydia says, "I… I didn't…" Nixie nods again, and then cups Lydia's neck on either side with her hands. "Lydia, I know. I know how frustrating this is. And I know that how her mind works, how she gives us stuff… it doesn't make it any easier."

Smiling gently, Nixie says, "But she is trying to help. In her own way. And that's how we have to let her. This is what we have now, which is more than we had before. So take it and run with it. Figure it out." "How?" Nixie raises an eyebrow and says, "You are, literally, the smartest person on the planet. At least, that's my opinion. If anyone is going to figure it out, it's going to be you." "And what if I can't? What if my brain is fried for today?"

Shrugging, Nixie says, "Then we'll figure it out tomorrow." "But…" "If you can't figure it out within the next hour, I'm drugging you with Nyquil and letting you sleep in the back of the car. You're no good to anyone if you can't think straight." Lydia smiles a little and asks, "Sarcasm? Really?" "I have no idea what you're talking about. I'm as serious as I could possibly be."

She winks though, and then turns back to watch Noah try and escort Meredith from the room. But before he can, Meredith jumps up and shouts, "That's the number!"

The banshee looks ready to lash out at the next person who tries to touch her, so Malia says, "Nix." Nixie looks over at her, and Malia says, "Just… do what you do. You know. Hug her or whatever." "Right. Because all my talents can be boiled down to hugs and head slaps."

But Nixie does move closer to Meredith, who seems to relax upon her movement. Jordan takes a step closer, wary of what might happen. But all Meredith does is step into the circle of Nixie's arms. Sighing and sniffling a little, she curls herself around Nixie's body and says, "That's the number." "I know Mer. Thank you so much for coming to help us. We'll run with it from here. You did good. So good. Understand?"

Meredith nods, and then eventually steps back from Nixie, back to her normal self again. Which… you know, isn't exactly normal. But hey… who is Nixie to judge?

As Noah makes to escort Meredith out of the office, Meredith takes hold of Nixie's hand and tugs her gently. Nixie raises an eyebrow, but then shrugs. Turning back to Lydia, she says, "I'll be back." And then she walks with Meredith out of the office to sit on the couch near the door.

Jordan stares after them until he hears Noah sigh and say, "I will never understand how she does that." Lydia nods in agreement, but says, "But we will always be grateful for it." They all nod at that, but then turn to Jordan when he asks, "What just happened? I don't get it. I mean, what did she…" Malia answers bluntly, "Nixie just has a way about her. It's like she can literally push all the worry and stress out of you with a hug. Maybe not forever, but at least for a while. She just, doesn't allow it to stay."

And Jordan can't help but grin when Noah adds, "She's stubborn that way." He nods in agreement, and then steps up to the door and says, "I'll be back at my desk if you need anything." As he prepares to step out, he pauses when Lydia says, "Jordan." He turns back to her, and she says, "Thank you. For talking to Meredith, I mean. And… for getting Nixie the coffee." Nodding, he says, "You're welcome."

As soon as he's gone, Malia comments, "He says 'Anytime, Nixie' when she thanks him. I was listening earlier, and her heart started beating faster when he said it. Like it means something special to her." Smiling, Lydia says, "And did you see the way they were talking earlier and smiling at each other? He's just as taken with her as she is with him."

Noah stares at the two of them for a moment, and then shakes his head and says, "I can't believe I'm hearing this right now." Lydia looks at him and says, "Oh, come on Noah. Jordan is one of the best people around. He's perfect for…" "No, I don't want to hear another word. You want to plot pairing together my best deputy and my honorary daughter, then do it while I'm not in the room. I'm the sheriff for Pete's sake. I can't be a part of that."

Malia and Lydia shrug, but drop the subject for now.

Outside in the rest of the station, Jordan sits at his desk, keeping a keen eye on Meredith and Nixie, who are sitting on the couch to his left. Nixie is holding Meredith in a light hug, and Meredith is snuggled against her, quite content with the world now. The only thing that breaks the silence between them is if Nixie asks if Meredith is hunger or thirsty, or about her trip from Eichen.

When the people from Eichen finally come to take her away, Meredith gives Nixie one final hug. As she's leaning back from Nixie, she whispers in her ear, "Hang on to the nice policeman. He's very good for you."

Jordan is quite certain he wasn't supposed to hear that. And judging from the shade of red that spreads across Nixie's cheeks… well, she's not going to necessarily be happy if he did. So for now, he keeps his head down, focused on his work.

As soon as Meredith is out, Nixie glances in Jordan's direction. And when she sees him studiously working, highlighting more lines in his reports, she breathes a sigh of relief. But before she heads back into Noah's office… she pauses and stares down at the reports Jordan's working on highlighting.

With the orange highlighter again. The one he had no reason to suddenly start using all the time… except that he'd opened it for her. And now, it was the color that suddenly lit up all of his reports.

It shouldn't mean anything. In fact, Nixie tells herself that it probably doesn't. And yet, she can't completely fight back her grin as she walks back into Noah's office.

As soon as she's gone, Jordan stops hiding his smirk as well. It wasn't as if he didn't know why he favored Nixie so much. He honestly couldn't understand why other people didn't feel the same. She was beautiful, without question. Even if she didn't seem to try and dress up or wear makeup. She didn't need any of that. She dressed for comfort, for ease of movement.

But that was beside the point anyway. It was more her character that Jordan found himself taken with. Her loyalty to the people she cared about was unmatched, as far as he'd seen. And her willingness to fight for them… the ferocity she took on while doing so. It was an amazing thing to witness. And how she could go from hard and stoic; to soft and nostalgic in a split second was amazing too. It was all about what her friends and family needed. Whether it be a hug and comfort, or a swift slap to the back of the head.

She was something special. And Jordan couldn't help his attraction to her. And given the number of times Nixie's blushed in his presence… he has a feeling she might feel the same. If Meredith's statement was anything to go by, then he could be certain of it. Sure, Meredith was to be considered a bit unstable in the mental department… but Nixie and Lydia seemed to trust her. They certainly didn't treat her as though she were someone who should be at Eichen, like many other people who were there. And it certainly didn't hurt that Nixie's first reaction, wasn't to look at Meredith like she'd gone crazy or was off her rocker. No… Nixie had turned a bright shade of red, like she was embarrassed.

Like she'd been caught.

Jordan was taken with her. He was certain of that fact. But now, he felt that he could almost certainly confirm, that Nixie might be taken with him as well.

Back in Noah's office, Malia looks up at Nixie and asks, "Why is your heart racing?" Looking up at her, Nixie waves a hand at the question and says, "Not now. Focus. Do we have anything on the numbers yet?" Lydia looks up from the notebook she was writing on and says, "Actually, Malia had a really excellent thought. She suggested that it might be like algebra, and the numbers might actually be letters."

Beaming at Malia, Nixie wraps an arm around her and says, "That is so awesome of you. You know what? You can be my favorite person the rest of today, and tomorrow." "I'm honored." "As you should be." Lydia laughs at both of them while she works to figure out what the numbers might mean if they were letters.

Her smile vanishes though when she figures it out, and she whispers, "Oh God." Frowning, Nixie moves to look over her left shoulder while asking, "What? What's wrong?" Lydia glances at her, but then just pulls out her computer. Booting it up, bringing up the screen with the second piece of code on it, Lydia then types in the name she'd gotten from Meredith's numbers.

Aiden.

Sighing, Nixie mutters, "Son of a bitch." And as the names start scrolling and appearing down the screen, Nixie catches sight of the name Brett Talbot. Squinting at it, Nixie points and says, "Familiar. Why?" Lydia shrugs, but then Malia says, "That's the guy Liam walked up to today when Devenford arrived at the school. He's one of the lacrosse players on the other team." Standing up straight, Nixie says, "You might just keep on being my favorite person well into the rest of the week too."

She hurries to send a message to Stiles, giving him the next third of the list and pointing out Brett's name so he can hopefully tell Scott to keep an eye on him as well. She's about to send him a second text, demanding an update within the next fifteen minutes, if not sooner. That's when Lydia gasps and says, "Nixie. The last name. It's…"

Coming back to the computer, Nixie asks, "What? Is it Liam? Is he…" But she freezes upon seeing who it is. She hadn't really focused on the names when she'd taken the picture before. She'd been more worried about giving Stiles the information he needed as quickly as possible. But looking at it now, she honestly can't believe her eyes. Because it's not a member of their pack. It's not anyone they would've thought of as a potential next victim or target.

'Jordan Parrish' is written there. And to make matters worse, he's not even someone who would be considered small prey. He wasn't worth thousands. He was worth millions. Five million, to be exact.

Lydia is about to comment further, but Malia puts a hand on her shoulder, and then holds a finger to her lips for silence. Nodding towards Nixie, Malia simply shakes her head. And as Lydia looks up, she can see why.

Nixie understands, once and for all, that Lydia had been completely and absolutely correct. She was falling in love with Deputy Jordan Parrish. Hell, if the fear she was feeling right now was any indication, then she was already ridiculously in love with him.

She understands why she hadn't really understood it until now too. Nixie has a great deal of love in her heart. She might focus all of it on the select few that she chooses to allow into her life… but the love was there, nonetheless. And she loved her pack; her friends and family, with everything she had in her. Loving people wholeheartedly, without holding any of that love back, was not new or strange for her. In fact, for Nixie, that was simply… normal.

Which is why Jordan had created such a puzzle for her. She does love him. She loves him with nothing held back. Well… they may all be holding back some truths about the supernatural… but as far as loving him with her whole heart, she was not holding back on the inside. And in that sense, it was a normal reaction for her.

But to be _in love_ with him. That was something else. It was something more, and that is what had made it so confusing before. But not anymore. Now she understood it perfectly.

Pity that it took her being terrified for his life to make her see that. But she sees it now, nonetheless. Nixie glances out the window at him, where he sits at his desk, working away as if nothing had changed. He didn't know he was supernatural. He certainly would've said something about it by now. At least to Scott, if no one else. Not to mention all the weird shit that happened in this town wouldn't be nearly as confusing to him, if he had any idea that he was a supernatural creature.

Nixie is determining in her own mind that she will figure this out, and kill whatever bastard is causing this, before they can get to Jordan. That's when she hears her thoughts reflected by Lydia, who touches her hand and says, "We're going to stop this, Nixie. We'll figure this out." Malia nods and says, "Stiles says you guys always do."

Nodding a bit, Nixie then glances back to the computer and says, "Send me a copy." Lydia nods, and Nixie is about to speak again, when they all jump as the door to the office opens. Lydia snaps the lid of the computer shut swiftly in response, and they all turn to see who was coming.

Low and behold, it was Jordan. Glancing at all of them, a worried look on his face, he says, "Sorry. I was just seeing if you guys were okay." Lydia nods and says, "We're fine." Nodding, Jordan fixes his gaze on Nixie. And the look he's giving her tells her that he doesn't believe that. Not for a minute.

Unbeknownst to her, he had looked up just before she'd completely looked away from him. And the look of fear in her eyes… it didn't sit well with him. He knows it probably means that whatever Meredith had given them, they'd finally figured it out. And whatever they'd found, Nixie didn't like. And given all that he'd seen of these guys… all of the things that they'd handled without being phased in the past… it didn't sit well with him to see whatever this was frightening her so.

He knows that she can see the question in his eyes, but Nixie simply turns her head away to avoid looking at him. Tilting his head, Jordan then looks to the others again before asking, "Any of you need a ride home? You look awful tired." Lydia shakes her head and says, "We'll be fine."

Jordan looks to Nixie again, and asks gently, "You sure?" Nixie casts her eyes up at him, and finally, a small smile makes its way to her face. Nodding, she says softly, "We're fine Jordan. Thanks though." Nodding, he says, "Anytime." And then he steps back out of the office.

Letting out a breath of relief, Nixie then looks down at Lydia. Putting a hand on her shoulder, Nixie squeezes gently before saying, "Go home." "But…" "No. There is nothing else we can accomplish on this front tonight. Go home. Get some sleep. We'll look at this with fresh eyes in the morning." Then, as Lydia nods and begins packing, Nixie whispers for Malia to hear, "Make sure she gets home and actually does try to fall asleep."

Malia nods subtly behind Lydia, and then they both head out the door for some much needed rest. Nixie pinches the bridge of her nose and then rubs at her eyes. She should probably try to get some sleep too; and she's about ready to leave and try to do that… when Noah bursts back into his office.

Raising an eyebrow, Nixie asks, "What's the rush?" Glancing up at her, Noah says, "Officially… Scott was attacked by a girl named Violet at the school." Nodding, Nixie braces herself and says, "Hit me with the unofficial then." "Stiles hasn't texted you?" "I'm sure he's working on it. It'll probably be a mile long text when he's finished. So… what's really going on now?"

Coming closer to her, putting a hand on her shoulder, Noah says, "Unofficially… That kid, Brett Talbot, was poisoned with a rare form of wolfsbane. Stiles and Derek are getting him to Deaton for help. And Violet did try to attack Scott… but he was able to knock her out instead. And now we're all headed down to the school to investigate and arrest her, because she was definitely the assassin taking off people's heads. And her boyfriend, Garrett? Apparently, they were a team in this, and he hasn't been found yet."

Nodding, Nixie makes to follow him, but Noah says, "Nixie, I can't fit you in the car." "But Noah!" "I know, and I'm sorry. But Scott's dad is riding with me as well, and there's isn't room. I'd bring you if I could, you know that at this point."

Finally, Nixie nods, letting Noah go ahead and leave without her. Besides, it's not like she couldn't just drive her own bike down there. Getting past all the officials after that might be a hassle, but she would get there somehow at this point. Her boy had been attacked by a freaking assassin. The asshole that got in her way to get to him was going to end up with a broken neck if he didn't move fast enough.

She was grabbing her bag and racing out of the building, when she heard a sharp shout, "Nixie!" Turning to see Jordan, she says, "I don't have…" "Get over here!" Rolling her eyes, she hurries over to the cruiser he's standing at. "Look. I don't have time to argue with you. I have to get to the school. Scott was…"

Amidst her explaining to Jordan what he already knew since he'd taken the report himself, Jordan has opened the passenger door and sat her down inside his car. Hurrying around to his side, he cranks the engine and is halfway down the road, Nixie still fidgeting and talking. That's when she finally realizes what happened. Blinking in surprise, she says, "Um… why am I in your car?" Jordan glances over at her, and then says, "Because if you're going to get in to see Scott without also sending somebody to the hospital, you need to be with a cop so you can get in to see him."

Silence for a moment, and then Nixie says, "Thank you." Jordan nods, and then adds, "He's fine, Nixie." "How do you know that?" "Stiles called his dad to talk about the incident. Scott called it in as well, and I took that call. An EMT will have to confirm it, obviously. But Scott said he was fine on the phone."

She's still fidgeting in her seat, when she feels Jordan's hand gently grip her shoulder. Squeezing gently, Jordan says, "Everything's gonna be fine, Nixie. Your boy is going to be just fine."

And though he can tell she's still worried, he can't help smiling a little when she reaches up to cover his hand with her own. Sighing a little in relief, Nixie says, "Thanks, Jordan." "Anytime, Nixie."

And while they have argued on a few occasions… he hopes that she knows he does really mean that.

* * *

Low and behold, it's Chapter 5! Yay! Chapter 6 will follow as soon as I'm able. :)


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: "I do not own Teen Wolf. The show, the characters, and any quotes from the show belong to Jeff Davis and his amazing team of writers. I only own Nixie, and anything I make her do or say."

And, just a reminder to everyone, that I did make some changes to the dead pool list. I also had to take one person's name out, which I will bring up again when we get to them. And I've changed some of the amounts, a I mentioned before. And if I did my math right, the total still comes out to 117 million, even with what Nixie ends up being worth. So, just be aware of that going forward.

As always, I'm sorry to interrupt you. Enjoy! :)

* * *

Chapter 6: Episode 4x6

When they finally arrive at the school, far slower than Nixie would've driven herself, she nearly leaps out of the car. And she would've sprint all the way in, and barreled through anyone in her way, if Jordan hadn't already suspected as much and raced around the car to put a restraining hand on her shoulder.

Lowering his grip to her arm, he says, "Patience." "I have plenty of that. Just not right now. I need to…" Jordan gives her a look, and then says, "If you just run up in there, charging in like a bull in a china shop, you will not get to see him." "Wanna bet?"

He does pause at that, thinking about it for a moment. Then he concedes, "No." And it warms his heart to see Nixie grin a little before laughing at him. Smiling down at her, he says, "But, for now, humor me. Let's try this the easy way first."

Tugging her gently along with him, he starts walking towards the crime scene tape that surrounds the entrance to the locker rooms. Nixie glances down at his warm hand on her skin, feeling as though her entire being was sort of warming up from his touch.

Lord help her. She needs to get a grip. Because becoming a girl who swoons over everything the man she loves does… yeah, that can't happen.

Upon reaching the scene, one of the other officers, thankfully not Haigh, holds up a hand and says, "Sorry miss. You can't…" But Jordan, being the sheriff's personal deputy, lifts up the caution tape. And as he ushers Nixie on in, he says to the other officer, "She's here with me. It's alright."

As they continue walking towards the locker room, Jordan notices Nixie glancing back behind them. Curious, he asks, "Something wrong?" "Wrong? No. Weird? Yes. Or… it's probably just me." "And what is that exactly?" She pauses for a moment, and then shrugs and says, "I'm used to arguing with people and glaring them into submission before I can get in places like this. And now, here I am. Strolling on up as if I own the place."

Chuckling, Jordan puts his hand gently on her back, between her shoulder blades. Guiding her further, he says, "See? Easy way. Much better. You may never want to go back to your old methods." "Yeah, well, don't get too cocky, mister. I have a feeling you aren't going to always be so agreeable about taking me to all the crime scenes I want to be at." Jordan shrugs and says, "Depends. I think you might be surprised."

She snaps her eyes up to his, but he just grins and then continues leading the way. Once inside the hall, Jordan spots Noah standing with some other officers. As he glances their way, Noah blinks in surprise, but then rolls his eyes and moves over to them. Looking first to Nixie, he asks, "And how did I know that you'd end up finding your way in here anyway?" Nixie shrugs, but her smile says he should've expected it, whether he was able to bring her or not. Then Noah looks up at Jordan. Raising an eyebrow, he asks, "And you let her in here?"

Jordan nods at that, though he does sigh and give her a look when Nixie says, "Oh, he did even better. He drove me here and everything as well." Noah gives Jordan a look too and asks, "So you just brought her in without even consulting me?" Finally, Jordan shrugs and asks in return, "You wouldn't have brought her in?"

Nixie has to bite back a smirk when she sees Noah trying and failing to come up with an argument to that question. Finally, realizing it doesn't matter anyway, he rolls his eyes again. Gesturing to the young woman on the bench near them, he explains, "We're trying to wake her up so we can take her into custody. Jordan, if you have any of your own salts, we'd appreciate them. Scott put her out pretty cold, so it's taking longer than usual."

And to Nixie, Noah points further down the hall and says, "Scott is that way with his dad." Nodding, Nixie hugs Noah and says, "Thanks."

Then she surprises them both, even Jordan, when she turns back and immediately hugs him as well. Sighing, she says, "Thanks, Jordan." And then she smiles at them before taking off up the hall to find Scott.

Soon as she's gone, Noah looks to Jordan and asks, "Did she even have to twist your arm to get you to bring her here?" Shrugging, Jordan says, "Not so much twist it. And in all honesty, it was her eyes more than anything that got to me this time." "Why?" "Well, because she looked like she would've been ready to murder anyone that got in her way right now."

Noah takes a moment to think about that, and then chuckles and says, "Well… thanks for trying to limit the amount of bloodshed for tonight." And then they turn their attention to the girl on the ground.

As Nixie turns a corner, heading for Scott, she pauses when she sees him and his dad talking. Rafe, kicking himself, says, "I should've been here." Scott looks up at him and then says gently, "You're here now."

Nixie watches them for a moment, letting them have some time together. They were warming up to each other, more and more, with each day. And Rafe wasn't really so bad. Sure, he'd been a pain in the ass last year, but he was really coming around now.

Then Scott takes in a deep breath, and feels a sense of safety and warmth surround him. Smiling, though it confuses his dad a bit, he then turns his head to see Nixie standing further up the hall. Rafe looks too, and then asks, "How did she get in here?" "Oh, it's best not to question her amazing ways, dad." Opening out his arm for her, he chuckles when she sprints the rest of the way down the hall, launching at him and then wrapping him in one of her tight hugs. Settling his arms around her in return, he says, "I'm fine."

Leaning back to look him over, Nixie asks, "Are you sure? Has anyone else confirmed that? Did you get checked out? What did she do to you? Do you want me to kill her?" Scott raises an eyebrow and says, "I'm fine, I promise. The EMT confirmed it. She tried to kill me, but I kicked her ass. And no, I don't want you to kill her." Frowning, Nixie huffs and says, "Fine. But I want it on record that I'm only agreeing to this because I'm exceptionally pleased that you aren't dead." "I will make a note." "Good."

Then she turns to Rafe, who is staring between both of them curiously. And Nixie knows they don't react properly to these things. Most people would be traumatized, or would at least be worried, crying, or freaking the hell out. But not Scott and Nixie. Not anyone in their pack.

But before he can question that, Nixie looks Rafe up and down and asks, "And what about you? Are you hurt?" Blinking, he says, "No. I wasn't here when it happened." Nixie nods to that, and then shrugs and says, "I'll hug you anyway." And though not quite as tightly as she'd hugged Scott, it's a firm grip nonetheless. Rafe stares at her in surprise for a second, but then pats her back gently before looking up at Scott. Back to Nixie, Rafe asks, "Is she always so…" Scott grins and says, "Yeah. Don't worry. Stick around and you eventually get used to it."

Nixie nods in affirmation, and then leans back from him. Pointing to both of them, she says, "By the way, I also want it on record that neither of you is ever allowed to die on me. Or nearly get killed. Like… ever." Scott raises an eyebrow and asks, "And you're just mentioning this now?" "I feel it's always been implied and stated in the past, but I am reaffirming it now. So… don't do it. Ever. I'll slap both of you in the head."

Scott chuckles, and then says to his dad's confused face, "Just agree with her. And don't be offended if she does slap you. It's done with love, so…"

Rafe finally grins and says, "Fine. I suppose I can make that work." Nixie grins at him and says, "Good." Then to Scott, she says in a fake whisper, "I like him. We should keep him." Scott laughs outright at that, and then they all turn their heads and frown as Violet is brought around to be escorted outside.

Jordan has her by an arm at her back, and as she struggles, she catches sight of his name tag. Pausing in her struggle, she asks, "Jordan Parrish?" Jordan glances down to her, and then says, "Deputy Parrish." Violet just smirks as they continue walking off down the hall. And Scott doesn't miss how quickly Nixie's eyes harden into a firm glare, and a scent of deep hate starts emanating from Nixie's scent, all directed towards Violet.

Scott wishes Violet could've seen the look Nixie was giving to her. They'd probably never have to worry about her again.

She switches her attention back to them though when Noah walks up. Rafe looks down at the evidence bag in his hand and asks, "Sheriff, what is that? Is that the weapon?" Noah nods, "Yeah. It's a thermo-cut wire." Which meant that Violet didn't have her weapon of choice anymore. But that didn't completely soothe Nixie's worry about Jordan being the one escorting her back to the station.

And the sudden, dawning look that enters Rafe's eyes doesn't help either. Tilting her head, she's about to ask what's up, when Rafe turns sharply and shouts, "Parrish! Hold up." Nixie makes to follow after them immediately, but upon seeing Liam working his way around the corner, she stops and waits. As soon as he gets to them, he explains, "Hey. So, Kira took off. Stiles told her about Lydia cracking the second part of the dead pool."

Scott wonder briefly why that's a sudden reason to take off. He'd been with her when Stiles had first mentioned it. What had changed since then. He's about to ask, when Nixie pulls out her phone. Holding it out so they can see the picture of the dead pool that Lydia had sent to her, they all read the names.

KATE ARGENT – 6

NOSHIKO YUKIMARA – 5

JOANNE MCLAUGHLIN – 1

STEVE GRACE – 1

TOM HILL – 1

BRETT TALBOT – 1

RICHARD BENEFIELD – 250

JACK MARSLAND – 250

JOY WALDROP – 250

CHERYL CALIX – 250

JORDAN PARRISH – 5

Pointing to the second name, Nixie says, "Her mom's on it." Nodding in understanding, Scott asks, "You'll call her later?" "Duh."

Liam looks between both of them, and then says, "Guys, everyone's on it." Scott turns to him and says, "You're not." "Not yet. There's still another third. Right?" He looks to Nixie on that question, and she nods that there is. But then she moves in to wrap him up in a tight hug. He sinks into it after a minute, feeling the sense of security surround him that he'd sensed as soon as she'd arrived on the scene.

Rubbing a hand up and down his back, she says, "Don't worry, Liam. This whole thing started before you were even turned. So you might not be on it at all. And even if you are, I wouldn't worry too much. Anyone that tries to come near you, if Scott doesn't kill them himself, I'll do it." Liam finally grins and says, "You shouldn't exaggerate." "Who's exaggerating? I'm very serious. Scott. Explain to him." Liam looks up at Scott, and then blinks when Scott shrugs and says, "She's not lying."

She leans back from Liam and says, "See? Now, both of you, come on." Liam asks, "Why? Where are we going? And why do you smell so… so…" Nixie sighs and says, "I smell like home. We've been through this." "No, I mean beyond that. You smell…" He looks to Scott after that, and then wagers a guess and suggests, "Afraid?"

Scott nods in approval and adds, "And extremely worried." Back to Nixie, he says, "It's because of Parrish, right?" Nixie nods, not bothering to deny that. Then she adds, "And, since you weren't listening, I'm worried because Violet knows who Jordan is, and that he's on the list, and is probably trying to figure out how to best kill him. So, if you two will hurry the hell up, I'm going to go over hear and see if I can hear what Rafe knows."

They don't argue with her further, though as they're walking that way, Liam asks, "How can she even hear him from over here? We have the super hearing now, but how can she…" Scott shrugs and says, "She's always had really sensitive hearing. You'll get used to it."

But… for the first time in a while, Scott also wonders how Nixie can possibly hear the conversation going on down the hall, when he himself has to strain to hear them.

Rafe, now holding the evidence bag, says to Violet, "Thermo-cut wire's a very unusual weapon, Violet. Now… we've got a file at the bureau on something similar. Used in over a dozen murders." Violet just offers up a little smirk and says, "I don't know what you're talking about. I just go to school here." Nodding Rafe says, "Maybe we should call your parents then."

Then he lightly snaps his fingers and says, "Oh no, that's right. You don't have any parents." Violet's face instantly morphs from cocky to worried, and she frowns deeper when Rafe affirms, "That's why they call you 'The Orphans'."

Rafe then nods to Jordan, who turns Violet around and starts leading her away. Nixie and Scott watch from up the hall, and then Nixie turns and asks, "Are you staying here?" Nodding, he says, "Gonna see if we can find some sign of Garrett anywhere, maybe something we can use to catch his scent." Nixie nods, "Good. I'm going to catch Jordan and get my ride back to the station. Let me know if you find anything else. I'll call before I head home, and if you don't answer, I'm coming back down here and…" Scott grins and finishes, "And will probably hit me in the back of the head for not answering." "Exactly."

Then she glances at Liam, and then says to Scott, "And make sure you give him my number. And make sure he knows the rules." "On it."

Noah is just walking away, looking for bolt cutters so he can search the lockers of both Violet and Garrett. Rafe is about to follow, when he lets out a huff of air as arms suddenly snap around his waist. Glancing down to find Nixie at his side, hugging him tight, he asks, "What's this for?" "For pissing off the bitch that tried to kill my boy. If I hadn't already promised Malia she could be my favorite person today and tomorrow, I'd change it to you." Leaning back, Nixie says, "But I did promise, so you will have to settle for being my favorite person on Wednesday. Sound good?" Rafe chuckles and says, "Sure. Sounds good." "Good. And now, I gotta go, before my ride leaves me. But thank you. I wish I'd had a camera to capture the look on her face. It was priceless. And I will adore you forever for making that happen. Okay, bye!"

Outside, Jordan had just finished shoving Violet into the backseat of the cruiser. That's when he hears someone running towards him, and he turns sharply to see who it is. He relaxes though, when he finds Nixie sprinting up to him.

Really fast. And as she tries to stop and practically starts skidding towards him, he steps off the car a bit and reaches out an arm to catch her around the waist. Drawing her up short, he says, "Easy with the valuables." Catching her breath, Nixie says, "Sorry. I know. Expensive car. Got it. I…" But Jordan gives her a look and says, "Yeah, I don't really give a shit about the car."

His hand at her waist squeezes gently to emphasize just what he was trying to get her to be careful with. Herself. Nixie looks up at him for a moment, and when she can't think of anything else to say to that, she just says, "Oh… um… oh." Jordan raises an eyebrow, unable to hide a small grin at having rendered her speechless. Then he lets her go and asks, "Why in such a rush?" "Oh, you know. I just… didn't want to miss my ride back to the station."

Tilting his head at her, Jordan says, "I wouldn't leave you stranded here." "Oh, I know that. But you have the criminal, which means you need to leave sooner rather than later. I didn't want to be the one that made you leave later, so…" Chuckling, Jordan glances back at Violet in the car, and then says, "Are you sure you want to ride with me though? I'm sure someone else can…" But Nixie cuts him off and says, "You don't get to drive the assassin back to the station all by yourself. I am coming. And if you leave me stranded here now, I'll press charges for… abandonment or something."

He chuckles at her again, and then walks her around to her side and opens the door for her. After she settles into the seat, he says, "I need to talk to the sheriff one more time, but then I'll be right back. Sound good?" "Sounds great."

As soon as he's shut the door and is gone, Violet smirks and says, "Your boyfriend is lucky my hands are cuffed back here. Otherwise… well, he wouldn't exactly be buying you roses any time soon."

Nixie would argue the point that Jordan wasn't her boyfriend, but she's too angry at the moment to attempt that. Instead, she turns sharply in her seat, eyes hard and glaring at the girl behind her. She feels as though she's never been so angry in her life… and that was saying something. She'd felt a similar sensation in Mexico a few months back, but not since then.

But whatever it was, and whatever Violet now saw in her eyes… it had her smile vanishing and her body shrinking back into the seat behind her. And the low tone and control Nixie kept over her voice only made it that much more terrifying as she says, "If you harm my deputy, in any way, shape, or form; you will wish Scott had just choked you to death in that locker room. Because by the time I'm through with you, that will have seemed like a mercy killing. Hell will feel like a spa after I'm through with you."

Flipping back around at her seat, sighing as she tries to calm down, Nixie grits her teeth when Violet asks, "So which one are you?" "What the hell are you talking about now, bitch?" Violet rolls her eyes and says, "Your name, idiot? Which one are you?" Nixie turns her head just enough to glare at her again, and then says, "I'm not on the stupid list, so my name doesn't do you any good. I'm not supernatural. I'm just the last person in the world you should've dared to piss off. I make Liam's anger issues seem like a child's play when I get pissed."

Violet stares at her in complete shock from the backseat, and is about to comment, and maybe even mock Nixie. But that's when the driver's door opens, and Jordan slides in. Buckling up, he glances over at Nixie and asks, "You alright?" "Peachy. Why?" Raising an eyebrow, Jordan says, "Because you look pissed. Ready to kill somebody. And the whole reason I drove you here myself was to prevent further bloodshed." Nixie gives him a look, but then says, "Don't worry. I'm only plotting one person's murder, and she's in the car with us."

Jordan glances back at Violet, and then says, "She can't hurt them now." "Maybe. But she tried to already, so you'll have to forgive me being pissed. Other people trying to hurt and kill 'my people' tends to have that affect." Jordan watches her a moment more, and then cranks the car and starts driving away. He couldn't really argue with her on that point. Violet had tried to kill Scott. Would've, if Scott hadn't somehow beaten her.

He supposes it's a miracle that Nixie didn't go ahead and murder Violet while he'd gone back inside to talk to Noah. And as they drive back to the station quietly, Jordan turns up the heat in the car a little bit. He didn't understand how, but it was suddenly extremely cold in his car.

At the station, Jordan gets Deputy Barnes to help him escort Violet into one of the prison cells in the back. She'll be transferred to FBI custody sometime tomorrow, but for tonight, she had to remain here.

When he comes back to the main room, he sees Nixie making her way outside. And upon following her, he hears her ask into the phone, "You find anything on Garrett?" Scott pauses on the other end, and then says, "We'll talk tomorrow about that. I didn't find anything useful to help track him." Nixie raises an eyebrow at him saying that they'll talk tomorrow about if he found anything at all. But it's late, and Scott has already had quite a day, so she doesn't push it for now. Instead, she asks, "You home?" "Yeah. And I made sure Liam got home safe too. Stiles and Derek got Brett to Deaton in time. He's gonna be fine. And Kira called to let me know that her mom is okay too."

Nodding, Nixie sighs and says, "Alright. Get some sleep, Scott. Until we figure this out, it's going to be nothing but long days ahead of us." "I know. You get some rest too, Nixie. I'll see you tomorrow."

After hanging up, she pauses for a moment, and then asks, "You need something, Jordan?" He moves to stand next to her, and as they walk towards her bike, he says, "I'd like to know if you're okay." "Yes. I said I was." "Yeah, I heard you. Still don't really believe it." "I can be pissed off and fine. Those two things can coexist. It's rare, I give you that, but they can."

Jordan grins slightly, but then says, "You look… off." Swinging her leg over her bike, she looks up at him and asks, "What do you mean, off?" Sighing, Jordan rubs a hand against the back of his neck, and then shrugs before saying, "You usually always smile. At some point and about something… you smile. And you haven't in quite a while. Barnes was actually afraid he'd done something wrong when he took Violet away, because you were glaring so much."

Nixie looks down at that, and then sighs and says, "Sorry. I just…" She runs a hand over her hair, and then says, "What if… what if someone else had been in there? I mean… we're lucky it was Scott, I guess. He can handle himself pretty well. But what if it had been Stiles that found her first. Or Liam, or Kira, or…"

Jordan steps closer to her. Putting a hand on her shoulder, he says gently, "But they weren't. Scott was. And he handled it." Nixie still shakes her head though, unable to shake the thought from her mind. Well… until Jordan says, "Seriously, quit frowning. You're scary enough with just your eyes glaring at people. You add that severe frown to the mix, and people become very afraid that they're about to be dropped into a river and never found again."

Her burst of laughter makes Jordan smile a little. Then Nixie looks over at him and says, "Sorry. I just… sorry." Jordan shrugs and says, "It's okay. We've got her now, and she's not going anywhere." Nixie nods, and then says, "Thank you, Jordan. For… well, everything." Nodding, he says, "Anytime, Nixie. Goodnight."

He's about to walk away and let her leave, when her hand grabs hold of his wrist. Turning back to her, he finds her biting her bottom lip nervously again. Tilting his head, he asks, "What's up, Nixie?" She stares at him a moment more, and then says, "Don't… just… don't get too close to her. Okay? Promise me? Please?"

Now Jordan stares at her for a moment, and he has to fight back a smile, because this is not the time for smiling. And yet, he can't help feeling that way. Nixie was concerned for her friends. She was deeply worried by the idea that Violet might've tried to kill them all at some point. And though he was still on the outside of their circle, and there was still much he didn't understand… he had Nixie's concern. She was looking at him now like, if he couldn't give her this, she might try to spend the entire night at the station, just to ensure that Violet couldn't do anything to him as well.

And much as he would like to give her that… he can't. Watching her carefully, he says, "I'm afraid I can't, and I am sorry about that. But I might be on the detail to get her out of here when that time comes." Nixie deflates in her posture a bit, clearly disappointed with this response, but not totally surprised by it either. Jordan steps up closer to her upon seeing her disappointment, and slides his arm around her.

She fits rather well in his arms, he decides. He'd thought so when she'd first hugged him, and it was reconfirmed now. Squeezing her gently, he says, "Don't worry so much, Nixie. I'm the sheriff's deputy. I can handle her. And I won't be alone, if I'm even put on the detail in the first place." "You weren't alone when that bastard tried to rob the armored car last year either. Look what happened to you then."

Jordan grins slightly and says, "I've gotten better since then. I can handle her." "Please don't underestimate her." "I won't. I will promise you that." "Good." She rests her head on his chest for a moment, and then sighs and says, "Alright. Sorry, I…" But Jordan shakes his head at her and says, "Nixie, please don't apologize. I'm honored… touched even, that you are so concerned for my safety. I understand you don't just hand out that concern lightly."

She smiles up at him finally, and then says, "Night, Jordan." "Goodnight, Nixie."

When she gets to the shack, she immediately writes down the names from the second portion of the list. Then she lays down on the floor in her makeshift bed, reads them all over so she can hopefully remember them all, and then closes her eyes to try and get some sleep. It's all she can really do at this point, aside from pray that tomorrow brings with it more answers than they got today.

* * *

Nixie is about ready to head to school the next morning, when her phone rings. Seeing that it's unknown to her phone, she frowns. But… she figures it might be Liam, so she answers, "Yeah?" "Um… is this Nixie?" Frowning again, seeing that it's not Liam's voice, Nixie says, "You have ten seconds to tell me your name and why you have my number. Then I'm hanging up." "Oh! Um… it's Mason! Mason Hewitt? I'm… I'm friends with Liam. Well, he's my best friend. Um… sorry, I didn't…"

Nixie relaxes a little, and then asks gently, "How'd you get my number Mase?" Mason sighs in relief at her changed tone, and then says, "Uh, Liam gave it to me. He said that if I ever needed help or thought something strange or bizarre was going on… that I should call you." Nixie makes a thoughtful noise in her throat, and then says, "Liam and I will have to have a talk. Not that I have anything against you, Mason. You sound like a fine individual. But, I'm very particular about who gets my number, and since I haven't met you yet…"

Mason nods and says, "Yeah, Liam said that too. And he said if I ever had to use it before we met, I should probably go ahead and apologize in advance for the fact that I have it. But he said he really wanted me to have it. He apparently thinks that, if something ever happened to me, you're definitely the one I should call. Even before the police."

Smiling a little, Nixie simply says, "Smart boy. Now, what do you need, Mason? You in trouble?" "No. But… I think Liam might be."

And as Mason explains what happened. How Liam just vanished out of thin air on their run this morning, Nixie sighs before simply saying, "Shit."

* * *

"What?!"

Stiles sighs, because he'd known Nixie wouldn't like his plan. And he'd known that because it took her away from helping to get Liam back.

Looking at him and Lydia like they've both lost their minds, Nixie demands, "Why do I have to go with you guys? I want to help find Liam! Strike that, I am going to help find Liam!" Lydia quickly shushes her as she gets louder in volume. Scott had gotten them out to the buses to talk, explaining what Garrett wanted in return for getting Liam back. Nixie was confident that, if she searched through the woods fast enough, she could find him on her own.

Scott wasn't as confident. He didn't doubt she'd try… but the preserve was huge, and if Liam was stabbed with a blade laced with wolfsbane, they didn't have time to waste on hoping that Nixie would be lucky enough to find him before he died. Which is why he was on board with Stiles' plan for the day, which was to get the third cipher key.

Lydia takes her hand gently and says, "Nixie, we know finding him is important. Scott is on it. But we also need to find the third cipher key for the dead pool." "I'm aware of that. But Lydia, I'm not a banshee. And aside from offering moral support, I don't see what good I'm going to do you." Stiles points and says, "You can get us into Eichen House."

Nixie freezes entirely for a second, and then looks at him and asks, "What?" "We need to get into Eichen House. To talk to Meredith again. She helped last time, maybe she can…" Nixie holds up a hand and says, "Okay, okay, yeah I get that. But I don't get how I'm supposed to get you in. I know Eichen House, sure. But I still can't break us in. It'd take me at least a day, maybe two, to plan for that. There are things we'd need to get access to her in there, and I…"

Lydis stops her and says, "We know. Which is why we aren't thinking of breaking in." Blinking in confusion, Nixie says, "Okay. Then I should remind you all that I'm not one for sweet talking guards into letting me past their normal protocols. In fact, Lydia, that would definitely be more your area of expertise. I just glare at people and frighten them into a corner." Stiles says, "Yeah, we've noticed."

She gives him a look, so he holds up his hands in a peaceful gesture, and then says, "We're not thinking of sweet talking our way in either. But… if a certain member of the police department were to come with us and ask to question Meredith… well, that would get us in."

Still confused, Nixie says, "So go ask your dad. I'm not a cop, and I couldn't pretend to be one, even if I were willing to try." "Nixie, dad's on the detail to transport Violet." Straightening up at that, Nixie turns to Scott and asks, "And you have to stop them?" Scott nods and then assures her, "I will take care of them. I promise." "Okay."

Back to Stiles, she says, "So, what? Do you need me to intimidate an officer into taking you? I'm not so sure I…" Stiles shakes his head and says, "Not intimidate. Just… ask and make sure he knows how important this is." "You can't do that?" "You can do it better." "How?!"

Lydia puts a hand on her shoulder and says, "We're asking Jordan." Nixie pauses for a long moment at that, and then looks up at her and says, "I… still don't understand why that means you need me. If he doesn't want to take you, then he won't. He's, quite literally, the only officer in the station that I don't have a lot of influence over." Stiles gives her a look and says, "Yes, you do." "No, I don't!"

Huffing, Lydia says, "Nixie, don't even try right now." "I'm not trying anything. Jordan, he…" Stiles steps up to her and says, "Look, we talked about this. We all know you have a huge crush on my dad's favorite deputy. Who happens to be my dad's favorite deputy because, wouldn't you know it, he's also your favorite deputy."

Nixie blushes at that, and then it goes deeper when Stiles says, "And he's crushing on you too." "No, he's not. He's…" Lydia puts a hand on her shoulder and says, "Nixie, you don't give yourself enough credit. And you don't see the way he looks at you. And sure, he's argued with you sometimes, but he also listens to you. More so than he listens to the rest of us. If you say it's important… that we have to do this… he'll believe you. He'll help us. But we need you with us."

Staring at them both, Nixie says softly, "He doesn't look at me…. No one looks at me like… I'm just…" Stiles sighs and steps up to her now. Hands landing gently on her shoulders, he says, "Look, I am only going to explain this once. Once, because you're like my sister, and confirming that Lydia is correct on this count… kind of feels weird for me. But here goes…" Looking her in the eye, he says, "You are adorable. You are funny. You are sexy. And I can name seven guys on the lacrosse team, right now, that have deemed you bangable, dateable, and kissable. So yes, you are someone that guys look at in this way."

Nixie just stares at him dumbfounded, and he goes on. "Now, where Jordan is concerned, it's much nicer. He looks at you like you're beautiful. Lydia's seen it. I've seen it recently, now that I'm looking for it. On top of that, Jordan has only ever cared about knowing one other person's order of coffee, aside from his own, and that is yours." When Nixie opens her mouth to argue, Stiles cuts her off with, "Yes, I know I'm the one who explained it to him, but he asked me about it specifically, and he doesn't care about getting anyone else coffee. He gets it for you, because he knows you like it, and he knows you appreciate it."

Continuing on, he adds, "Jordan has also only ever let one other person, aside from my dad, ride shotgun in the cruiser with him. And that is you, again. And Jordan, though he always wonders about why we're there so much, doesn't concern himself with it quite as much if you aren't also there with us."

Nodding at Nixie's wide-eyed expression, he says, "And there is no way he is helping us get in to see Meredith, if you don't come with us to help convince him that we have no other option. We're running out of time, and Meredith is out best bet. So… you're coming with us."

Nixie stares at him a moment more, and then turns to look at Scott. He nods and then puts a gentle hand on her shoulder. "I'll get Liam back, Nixie. I promise. And if I run into any trouble that I can't handle on the way, I'll call you immediately to ask for help. Okay?"

Finally, she nods, and then sighs before saying, "Alright. Let's go convince Jordan to illegally take us into Eichen House. But for the record, I don't think he likes me nearly as much as you seem to think he does." Stiles rolls his eyes and says, "Then either he or you, one of you, is an idiot. And apart from that, I want it on record that I think I'm right. And since Lydia agrees with me, we should consider me right, because even though you are smart, Lydia's the genius."

Nixie gives him a look and says, "Gee, thanks." "Oh, shut up. You know I love you." "Yeah, love you too." "So, you're with us?" "Yeah. But I also want it on record that I'm not happy about it. And I'm doing this under duress." Grinning, Stiles throws his hands up and says, "Yes! Alright! So, right after school, we head over. I don't want to push it and try to make him take us while school is still going. He might just throw us out of the building."

After he's gone and Scott has left as well, Lydia slips her arm through Nixie's. Walking leisurely, since they both have a free period now, Lydia says, "I do think he's falling for you too. You know that, right? I mean… I wouldn't just say all that to convince you to come with us. I really do think it." Nixie nods, and then sighs and says, "Yeah, I know." "Then why argue so much?" "Because I don't agree with Stiles. Guys don't look at me like that. Not like I'm some loveable, huggable, dateable… bangable thing." "Nixie, Stiles just said…" "All of those that he's talking about are boys with dick's for brains. It's more disgusting than a compliment."

Sighing again, she says, "Jordan is… sweet. He's warm and sweet and good and wonderful and… I'm not." "Nixie! Yes, you are!" "Maybe, but I don't look like I am. I look like a warrior with a death wish." "Nixie, give him some more credit. Jordan… he knows that we're involved in these cases. He has an inkling of some of what we've faced before. He'd understand where your scars come from and he'd admire you for them."

Silence for a moment, and then Lydia says, "You didn't see the way he looked at you in the station yesterday." "He looked at all of us." "Sure. But he looked at you in particular. He could see you were upset. He saw it from outside the office. And he instantly stood up to try and see if he could fix it. He looked at you like, whatever new problem you had, he would've moved mountains to see it done away with." Leaning her head onto Nixie's shoulder, Lydia adds, "And you move mountains for us all the time, Nixie. It's about time you had someone who could do the same for you."

They stay quiet for a moment more, and then Nixie concedes to another problem she'd thought about. "He's not in our group yet. I mean… he's not a part of the pack yet. And the age thing is still an issue." Lydia nods, and then says, "He can be in our group though. I'm sure Scott wouldn't mind. For you to like him this much… for you to be in love with him… he has to be pretty great. So… we can bring him in, eventually. And as for the age thing… well, I guess you guys will just have to be patient for the next year or so. And the only person I've seen with more patience than you, is Jordan. You guys will be fine."

Nixie finally laughs and says, "You talk as if we're already a couple. He may still not actually like me that much, you know." "Then he's an idiot, like Stiles said. Plus, I don't trust your judgment when it comes to figuring out if anyone likes you or not. You don't see yourself the way the rest of us do, so your opinion can't be relied on in that sense." "Gee, thanks." Lydia laughs, and then says, "And as for the way I'm talking… I'm just planning ahead for the future, Nixie. Just planning ahead."

As they separate to grab books for the next classes, Nixie stands at her locker, pondering all that they'd said. She hadn't been aware that they concerned themselves so much with her love life. And it worries her a bit that they do. With dead pools, assassins, and everything else they have to deal with… they shouldn't be so concerned with her. Not her love life, not her scars… not any of it. She could handle this. She could handle pain. She could handle being a little lonely, if that's what this life was going to call her to be.

She could handle cold and empty shacks. She could handle everything that this world throws at her… so long as she has them. So long as she has her pack to protect, to love, and to remind herself that she's never really alone. Not really.

That's all she needs. Right?

* * *

When the door opens nearby and Jordan looks up, he's actually surprised to see Stiles, Lydia, and Nixie walking in. He smiles up at them though and asks, "Need something?"

His smile slips a little when Nixie looks away from him, not wanting to meet his gaze. He attempts to catch hers, but then looks up at Lydia when she says, "Um… maybe in Noah's office." Jordan nods, not arguing at this point, since he's so confused by Nixie's behavior. Walking them in, he says, "Sheriff should be back within the next hour or so. You want to wait here for him?"

Closing the door behind him, Stiles turns to him and says, "Actually, we want to, uh, talk to you." Lydia nods and adds, "Privately."

For a moment, nothing is said, and then Nixie feels Lydia nudge her arm. This is what she was here for. To convince him. Sighing, she glances up, a little surprised to find his eyes already on her. Then she shrugs and asks, "Please?"

She really had no idea how adorable she was, is what Jordan decides. How anyone would say no to her at this point was beyond him. And as if he would've tried anyway. She looks back down immediately, which he's not exactly pleased with… but he'd wait for a moment to figure that out. Maybe it would be explained here and now, why she was suddenly afraid to look at him.

Nodding to Stiles, Jordan asks, "What's going on?" So Stiles hands over the second portion of the list and begins explaining what exactly it is. Jordan reads down it, recognizing several names immediately, and then asks, "This is a hit list?" Nodding, Stiles says, "We call it a dead pool. Recognize any of the names?" Gesturing to them, Jordan says, "Yeah. The sheriff had me run a bunch of these through the system last night. But we couldn't find any of them."

It dawns on him then that it was also last night that Nixie's eyes had been filled with fear as she, Lydia, and Malia had been standing around the computer in this office. This is what they'd found last night. This is what had gotten Nixie so scared. Cutting his eyes to her, finding them on him for now, he knows she sees the silent question in his eyes, wondering what was going on.

She just ducks her eyes down again, refusing to speak for now. Stiles glances at her, knowing that she feels bad right now. When they'd told her that they were going to show Jordan the list… a list with his name on it… she'd immediately clammed up and felt bad for not having shown it to him sooner. He was on a dead pool, for crying out loud. Of course he should know.

Then Stiles looks to Lydia and says, "Show him the other thing." Lydia glances at Nixie too, realizing she is most definitely not going to be the one to show Jordan herself. So she reaches forward and flips the folded sheet of paper over so Jordan can see the other side. At the sight of his name, Jordan stands up from leaning against the desk, and then says, "Okay. That's kind of terrifying."

He was on a hit list. Why was he on a hit list? Tilting his head, he then asks, "What's the number beside it?" Lydia glances to Nixie again, but when she still refuses to speak, Lydia answers, "That's how much you're worth?" Spinning back towards them, Jordan asks incredulously, "I'm worth five dollars?!" Stiles gives him a look and says, "Five million."

Jordan leans back in shock at that part, and then says "I only make forty-thousand a year." Stiles nods to that, shrugging at Lydia to show he doesn't understand the relevance of that. Nixie is now pinching the bridge of her nose, trying to ward off another headache. That's when they hear Jordan say, more as an afterthought than anything else, "Maybe I should kill myself."

The slap to the back of his head is so hard and loud that Lydia would swear it echoes in the room. Jerking from the force of it, Jordan snaps his attention around, about to ask what the hell just happened.

He stops short though when he sees Nixie's face. Gone was the avoiding glances and nervous posture. Her eyes were hard and boring into him, fierce in their sudden anger. For a moment, Jordan just stands there, because even if she was glaring at him right now, it was better than her avoiding looking at him at all. Then, because he wants some clarification, he says, "Um… owe."

Her eyes narrow in annoyance, and then she jabs a finger into his chest while saying, "If you ever, and I do mean ever, contemplate offing yourself again, you will not have to worry about it. I will personally take care of it for you, for being a freaking idiot. Do not ever, say anything, like that again."

Jordan's eyes widen slightly at the overly controlled tone of voice she was using. Her hands were shaking at her sides, as though she were resisting the urge to slap him again. Then, he hears Stiles huff from nearby before he whispers to Lydia, "Why did we bring her again? Wasn't she supposed to make this easier?"

Easier? Jordan glances briefly at Lydia and Stiles, and then realizes with chagrin, that maybe he wasn't going as unnoticed in his attraction to Nixie as he'd thought. The young psychic obviously knew, it was evident in the way she was watching the both of them right now.

Oh well. It was definitely too late to try harder now. And… well, he doesn't really want to anyways. Back to Nixie, meeting her still glaring eyes, he says gently, "Alright. Sorry. And I promise I won't."

The little spitfire in front of him settles herself down upon hearing though, though the confused look on her face is still adorable. She had clearly been expecting an argument of some sort. One she would've readily fought with him about until she won. But he'd given in easily. And in all honesty, it was a reasonable request. He shouldn't have said it in the first place, even as an afterthought.

Besides, he has another bone to pick with her, but he'll get to that in a minute. Turning back to Lydia and Stiles, he says, "I don't get it, though. Why… why am I even on this?" Stiles sighs, happy to be back on track, and then says, "Honestly that might be a question for another day. Right now, there's still another third of the list we gotta crack." Nodding, Lydia adds, "We need the third cipher key. But… we need help getting it." Understanding that, Jordan shrugs and asks, "From who?"

Lydia and Stiles both look to Nixie, both of their gazes insisting that she be the one to answer that question for him. Looking back at her, finding her eyes cast down again, he reaches up gently to touch her arm. Grabbing her attention for a moment, he nods over to her friends. And when she looks, she rolls her eyes before sighing and saying, "We… need Meredith."

And now he understands why Stiles had brought Nixie in the interest of making this easier. They were all too aware of how much attention he paid to Nixie. And yes, he was aware that Nixie wouldn't be asking for Meredith if they didn't absolutely need to see her.

Still, he looks over at Lydia and asks, "The girl from Eichen? Last time you saw her, you almost gave her a nervous breakdown." Lydia immediately points out, "Uh… almost." Stiles nods and adds, "Quite a distinction there. Plus, Nixie would be coming. So, you know, if Meredith starts losing it again, she can hug Nixie and everything will be right as rain again."

Nixie pinches the bridge of her nose again, and then returns to looking at the floor, or the wall, or the window. Anywhere but at him.

And Jordan has had enough. To Lydia and Stiles, he says, "Let me think about it." Tightening her lips worriedly, Lydia says, "But…" "Lydia, I'm gonna think about it quickly. Just… give me a minute. Go back outside."

So Stiles and Lydia step out the door, but as Nixie makes to follow, Jordan catches her arm and says, "No. You stay." Moving to the door, shutting it again and locking it this time, he turns back to her. Blinking in surprise, Nixie says, "I thought you needed to think." "I do, and I am going to. And you're going to help me. After you explain why you suddenly can't stand to so much as look at me."

She ducks her eyes again in response, but gasps softly when Jordan's hand slips beneath her chin, fingers tilting her head up so she has to look at him. Giving her a look, daring her to look away, he asks, "What happened?" "Nothing… I… it's not…"

Holding up the list that he still has, Jordan asks, "Is this what happened last night? Why you got so worried and scared all of a sudden? You saw this?" She nods in answer to that, and Jordan says, "So you knew I was on it." She nods again, her eyes darting away again.

Ah… so that was it. Gentling his stance with her, he puts the list in his pocket while asking, "Is that why you didn't want me going near Violet last night?" Nixie nods again, biting her lip hard. Then she gasps in surprise when Jordan's arms gently wrap around her. Drawing her in, he says, "Stop it." "What?"

Rubbing a hand gently up her back, he says, "You're afraid that I'm pissed because you didn't already tell me about this. Stop it." Cradling the back of her head, pulling it to rest against his chest, he says, "I'm not happy about it. I admit that. I'm not happy about you keeping this a secret for any length of time, really. But… I understand."

Sighing, he says, "Or… maybe I shouldn't say I understand. There's a lot about you guys that I don't have a damn clue about." Nixie lets out a short laugh, and Jordan smiles at the sound before saying, "But… I get it. I think. At least a little, I suppose." As she relaxes further, Jordan adds, "And hey, I don't know what you did to Violet yesterday when I left you in the car. But when I brought her lunch today, she was actually terrified to come anywhere near me. So… thanks for that."

Laughing again, Nixie relaxes into him, wrapping an arm around him in return. Pulling back, wiping at her eye because she'll be damned if she's going to cry simply in relief over Jordan not being angry at her, she then smiles up at him, no longer avoiding his gaze.

He smiles back gently, and then takes a breath and says, "Now… about Meredith. I'm… not so sure about that." Nixie nods in understanding, and then sighs and says, "She… she's our best shot at getting the last key. Maybe our only shot."

Jordan looks at her for a long moment, and then finally nods and says "Let me grab my jacket. We'll all take the cruiser. That'll make it look more official than if we all show up separately." Blinking in surprise, Nixie asks, "Really?" "Yeah. Come on."

But when her surprised expression doesn't leave, Jordan turns back to her and asks, "What? You didn't think I'd want to help?" "No! Not that. I… I just…" He tilts his head at her curiously, and then can't help grinning a little when Nixie asks, "Why? Why are you suddenly so ready to go and get her now that I told you we need her? I mean… I…" Stepping back up to her, cutting off whatever else she might've said, Jordan says, "Two reasons, actually."

Raising an eyebrow at him, Nixie waits to hear them. Jordan lifts a finger and says, "First one, is that you care a lot about Meredith. I saw that last time. So I know you wouldn't be asking this, risking upsetting her, unless it really was the only option you thought you had."

Nixie can't argue with that one, so she just nods in agreement. Then Jordan says, "Second one... is that if there was another option, you would've told me about it. And you haven't, so you need Meredith. So we're going to talk to her." Tilting her head, Nixie says, "You don't know that I would've told you." "Oh, but I do, actually." "How?"

Raising an eyebrow at her now, he says, "Because I know why and when you hold back the truth. And it's when you're trying to protect someone. And leaving out another option at this point, would not help protect or keep Meredith safe. It might even endanger her, and your friends, and me too for that matter. So I know you've told me all you can about this."

She stares up at him, and then says softly, "You shouldn't be going just because I said to go. I… it…" "Nixie, I'm going because all three of you think Meredith can help figure out how to see the entire hit list. And if we're going to prevent any more murders, we need the whole list. And I'm not stupid. I know all three of you, are just about the smartest people in this town. Which means if you three can't think of another way right now, then no one else is going to either."

Silence reigns for a moment after that, and then Jordan gently takes her elbow in his hand and says, "Come on. Eichen won't let us visit her if we get there too late. And I wouldn't mind knowing what the rest of the list is as soon as possible, myself."

Nixie nods to that, and Jordan opens the door so she can go out first. Stiles and Lydia stands up from the couch, Stiles practically bouncing in his anticipation for an answer. Jordan grabs his jacket from the back of the chair and says, "I'll pull the cruiser around and then we can go. Wait here."

As soon as he's gone, Stiles turns to Nixie and asks, "What did he say?" Shrugging, Nixie says, "He just… wanted to talk." "About what?" Nixie gives him a look and says, "About the weather. What do you think he wanted to talk about Stiles?" "I don't know! Maybe he was hitting on you!" "What?!" Stiles nods and adds, "And if he was, it is within my rights as practically being your brother, to threaten to kick his ass and kill him if he comes onto you without your permission, or if he ever hurts you. Ever."

Nixie's mouth has dropped open slightly, and then she says, "I. AM. A. MINOR. What part of that has not sunk in yet? Jordan is a cop, and he's the smartest one we have here. He's not stupid enough to try and hit on a minor. At all, but much less in the sheriff's station!" Stiles shrugs and says, "He might turn stupid for you though. I saw how he was looking at you in there. You were about to give him an anxiety attack, making him wonder why in the hell you were trying so hard not to look at him." "Oh, just shut up. I'll hit you in the head for sheer annoyance here in a minute."

Stiles grins at her, knowing it's an empty threat. Then he says, "He's taking us though. That's good. Means we were right, and he listened to you." "No. He listened to all of us. He knows we're the smartest people in this town, he told me so." Crossing her arms, Lydia asks, "And?" Sighing, Nixie adds, "And he said he knew I would've told him about another option if I thought there was one. So he's taking us. Satisfied?" "A little. But you need to take a little more pride in the fact that, out of anyone's opinion he could've wanted last, he picked yours as the one that mattered most. Have a little optimism for yourself here. It's getting exhausting, being the only one to have it about this pending relationship."

Nixie raises an eyebrow and asks "Pending? We haven't even…" "But you will. I am confident. Don't argue with me. I'm a genius."

And in the interest of ending the conversation, Nixie does shut up for now. Jordan comes back in to get them a moment later, and then escorts them all out to the car. Stiles smirks at Nixie, and then shoots his hand into the air and says, "Shotgun! Called it!"

Jordan simply raises an eyebrow at him, not missing how Nixie's cheeks start turning red. Putting a hand on Stiles' shoulder, Jordan says, "In the back. I'm driving, I pick the shotgun." And Stiles would comment further, except Jordan gives him a look that clearly says he would leave him here if Stiles didn't shut up.

Then he opens the passenger door for Nixie, and as she slides in, she doesn't even need to look in a mirror to know that Lydia and Stiles are both grinning at her like idiots.

But even though she is rather pleased that Jordan wanted her beside him in the front… she couldn't express that right now. They were going to Eichen House. A place she really wasn't supposed to even go. A place that held one of the biggest secrets of her life.

And somehow, though she hopes she's wrong, Nixie can feel that this is not going to end well tonight.

* * *

Jordan's concern has shifted now. Rather than Nixie avoiding his gaze, she was avoiding looking at everyone else in this place. Not just the patients. In fact, she didn't seem to care if some of them looked at her and saw her. No… it was more the orderlies and the guards that she seemed worried about.

While the man at the door searches for the correct key, and while Stiles and Lydia are watching him, Jordan gently reaches out to brush his fingers against the back of Nixie's clenched fist. She jumps a little in surprise, but then looks up at him curiously, wondering what he might want.

He simply glances down at her clenched hands, and then looks back to her face, tilting his head in his own curiosity. Nixie smiles at him reassuringly, trying to tell him that she's fine. But it's not even a full minute after that when her hands start clenching again. So no… she most certainly was not fine.

He's about to get her attention again, lean closer for a better answer, when Stiles turns to see someone else coming down the hall. And upon seeing Brunski, Stiles tenses and says, "Oh no, not this guy."

Nixie and Jordan both turn to look and see who's coming, and though Jordan has never met this man before, he can't help noticing how Nixie's eyes instantly harden into a sharp and penetrating glare. Her hands have even stopped clenching, whatever other worry she'd had completely forgotten at the sight of this man.

Upon reaching them, Brunski demands from the orderly, "What the hell are we running here? A bed and breakfast?" Taking the keys from the other man, he adds, "You do not just open the door for anyone with a badge."

Jordan puts a gentle hand on Nixie's shoulder, trying to calm her, and then says, "We need to talk to Meredith Walker. It involves a murder investigation." Brunski turns to look at him, and then says, "Well, you can talk to her all you want. But these three, and especially these two…" He points to both Stiles and Nixie, and finishes, "They're outta here." Looking specifically at Nixie, he says, "And you definitely know you shouldn't be here."

Jordan has no idea why Nixie should be considered banned from this place. And judging from the looks on Lydia and Stiles' faces, they don't have a clue either. Making a mental note to hit on that subject later, Jordan quickly intervenes again and says, "They're crucial witnesses in an ongoing investigation. I wouldn't have brought them here if it wasn't absolutely… crucial."

Well, what else was he supposed to say at that point? Brunski smirks at him and says, "Okay deputy. If it's so 'crucial, how about you come back with a court order, then I'll listen." Scoffing at Jordan, he doesn't see how dangerously close Nixie is to lashing out at him. Then he takes it too far. Turning to Stiles, Brunski says, "As for you, Mr. Stilinski. How about you come back with payment in full?"

Stiles drops his gaze to the ground, and Brunski chuckles and says, "That's right. Daddy may be the sheriff, but he's late on the bills." Stepping closer, raising his hand to maybe jab a finger in Stiles' chest, he says, "I guess those government jobs aren't as reliable as they used to…"

She moved so fast that Jordan had to take a moment and blink to clear his mind and figure out what just happened. Brunski suddenly jerked back in a cry of pain, and his hand was bleeding from the cut on the back of it. And Stiles, though still a bit shaken, was suddenly able to smile again as Nixie moved in front of him.

Glaring at Brunski, Nixie says, "Do not, touch, my boy." He stares at her for a moment, and then at the blade she twirls in her hand. And he knew that she was ready to hit him again, if he came closer. So he doesn't. But he does sneer at her and say, "Fine. Besides, he's not the only one who needs to leave. By the way, I've been meaning to ask. How has life been treating you now that mother dearest's insurance can't cover the rent?"

Stiles and Lydia snap their gazes to Nixie in confusion and bewilderment, because why should Brunski know anything about Nixie's mom, a woman that they themselves, had never even met. Smirking, Brunski says, "Yes, Miss Bennett. I'm very aware of those changes."

More confusion, and Nixie hears Stiles ask, "Bennett?" Brunski chuckles, realizing they have no idea what he's talking about. Then he says to Nixie, "Oh, that's right, I forgot. Your last name is Haven now, isn't it? Oh, my mistake. I get so confused sometimes since you look so much like…"

It wasn't that Jordan didn't want to know more about that as well. He did. But he'd been watching Nixie closely ever since Brunski had started talking. And he could see it in the stilling of her hands, and the way her body slowly started to move into an offensive position. She was ready to attack the man.

So, to prevent that, he cuts Brunski off by saying, "You're right. Those government jobs aren't as reliable as they used to be. But they do help when you need a favor." When Brunski turns to look at him, Jordan shrugs indifferently, but then says, "Like, how a month ago, Canaan P.D. helped you get home after blowing point one on a breathalyzer."

Stiles worried expression turns to one of joyous amusement as he turns back to Brunski with an awed whisper of, "No." Brunski turns to glare at him, but backs up a step when Nixie twirls her dagger again. To Jordan, Brunski clucks his tongue behind his teeth, and then says, "Alright. I'm not against a little quid pro quo. Not at all. Not… at… all."

He makes to shove the keys at Stiles chest, but Nixie swings her blade up and catches them first. Then she holds it out for Jordan, who amazes everyone by taking them off the end of the knife without even batting an eye. Then he hands them to Stiles behind Nixie's back and nods towards the door.

Lydia, for her part, upon seeing how much enjoyment he got out of egging Nixie on, shows Brunski her middle finger before he moves on down the hall. Then she turns back, ready to question Nixie about what happened.

But Nixie is struggling not to laugh, because Stiles is pawing at Jordan like he's suddenly the greatest human being they've ever seen. Pointing at the deputy, Stiles says, "You. You? I like you. I'm gonna keep you."

She has to cover her mouth to hide her laughter, and Jordan grins at her a bit. Then Stiles turns to her, and instantly goes back to being serious when he asks, "And what was that about? How does he know you? And Bennett? Why did he call you…"

Nixie holds up her hand and says, "Not now." "But…" "Stiles, not now. And definitely not here. Get the door open. Talk to Meredith. And let's get out. Then you can bug me." He thinks about that for a moment, and then nods and heads for the door, getting Lydia to help him find the right key.

Nixie is about to try and help too, except Jordan catches her elbow and pulls her back. Keeping her on the other side of the hall, he asks softly, "What was that?" "Jordan, I…" "And please don't lie to me."

She snaps her eyes up to his, and then begins biting her lip again. Jordan watches her for a moment, and then says gently, "Talk to me, Nixie. What…" "Not right now." "Nixie…" "Not here. Jordan… please?"

It was the fact that she looked like she might begin crying if she talked about right now. That's what made him back off. This conversation wasn't over, by any means. But he could wait. Nodding gently, he then brushes some of her hair out of her face from where it had fallen from her hair bow. Tucking it behind her ear, he leaves his hand there, cupping the side of her head, hoping to comfort her. Because whatever Brunski had been talking about… it had upset her quite a bit, even if she was trying not to show it so much.

Nixie leans into his hand for a moment, relaxing in his touch. Then she hears the door open to Meredith's room, and she smiles wryly before saying, "Thanks, Jordan." And he smiles back before saying, "Anytime, Nixie."

Now, even though Nixie had been prepared for whatever kind of weird answering method Meredith might have this time… she had not been ready for the banshee to simply tell them that she knew the key word, but wasn't going to give it to them.

Gritting her teeth in frustration, Lydia asks, "Meredith, what do you mean you can't tell us?" Stiles nods in agreement with the question and says, "We just need the third key. You can give it to us in numbers, letters, hieroglyphs. Whatever you want." But Meredith just says again, "I can't." Huffing, Lydia asks in bewilderment, "Then why did you give us the second key?" "I wanted to help. That's what I want to do. I want to help."

Lydia nods eagerly and holds out her hands while saying, "Great! So help us now, okay? Give us the third cipher key." Growing a bit agitated, her voice shaking, Meredith shakes her head and says, "Things have changed. I… I can't." Stiles runs a hand over his face and asks, "Why not?"

Jordan, who had been standing at the door, comes up beside Nixie at the end of the beds and says, "Guys, go easy on her." Meredith glances over at the two of them, and then back to Stiles and Lydia as she says, "I'm sorry. I can't. He… he doesn't want me to." Grabbing onto that string of information instead, Stiles asks, "He? Who's he?" Lydia nods and adds, "Meredith, who doesn't want you to tell us the third cipher key?"

And a stunned silence follows when Meredith says, "The Benefactor."

Jordan only hears Nixie say, "Son of a bitch," because he was standing right beside her. Wide eyes on Meredith, Nixie doesn't argue this time when Lydia starts demanding, "What's his name?" Meredith shakes her head, and Lydia stands up to pace while saying in aggravation, "You could just tell us his name!"

Meredith just shakes her head harder, so Stiles asks, "Okay, you're shaking your head. What's that mean? You don't know? Or you don't want to help us?" "I… I can't. I can't help anymore." Shaking her head right back, Lydia demands, "How do you know about him?"

But Meredith just becomes more and more panicked at this point, rocking back and forth on the edge of the bed. Frowning, Nixie says, "Guys, we need to ease back. She's…" Lydia, in her frustration, snaps around to glare at Nixie before turning back to Meredith. But before she can speak again, Jordan adds, "Guys, I think we better stop."

Nixie nods in agreement, but Lydia continues anyway, saying, "Meredith, a lot of people are going to die if you don't tell us." "I don't… I… I don't know. I don't know. Please…" Lydia makes to demand more, but Nixie steps up and catches her arm. Shaking her head, Nixie says, "We're not getting anything else from her."

Jordan steps towards Meredith, trying to calm her by saying, "Meredith, it's okay. You're gonna be alright." "I don't know. I don't know…" "I know. It's okay. You're gonna be just…" But then Meredith jumps up and screams, "I said I don't know!"

Lydia cringes and steps back towards Stiles, hands shooting up to cover her ears. And while the scream had been directed at her, Nixie's hearing was too acute for it to not have an effect. Her hands snapped up to her ears too, and she actually dropped down to her knees from trying to escape the sound now ringing through her head.

Jordan doesn't know what just happened. He knows that wasn't any ordinary scream. And he knows that he and Stiles are both okay, as far as he can tell. But Lydia… as Stiles checks on her, has blood leaking from one of her ears.

Bending down quickly to Nixie's side, he grips her shoulders to sit her upright. "Nixie? Hey, look at me. Hey, right here. Look at me." She opens her eyes to look at him, blinking again before cringing and saying, "Shit. My head."

Jordan grins a little in spite of himself, and after looking her over for other injuries, he sighs in relief and pulls her in closer. He doesn't care if Stiles and Lydia are watching right now. He's too happy that Nixie's okay.

Sighing after a minute, she says, "Come on guys. We need to go." Stiles nods and guides Lydia out. Jordan helps Nixie to her feet, and is about to guide her from the room, when Meredith suddenly shoots up from the bed. Scrambling down, she wraps herself around one of Nixie's legs, hugging her there and refusing to let go.

Nixie stares at her for a moment in surprise, but then sighs and says, "Fine." Nodding to Jordan, she says, "It's alright. She just needs to know it's going to be okay. I'll come out in a minute." But as she turns back to Meredith, Jordan grips her arm and turns her head to face him again. Stern look in his eyes, he says, "You're not going to stay here after that." "Meredith is my friend. She's just… not altogether… there. She just needs to know one of us isn't angry at her. I can do that. I'll be fine." "Nixie…"

Tilting her head at him, Nixie says, "Jordan, I promise, its okay. She's harmless. Well… now she is, anyway. And between me and Lydia… Lydia is the one that needs attention right now. I'll be fine." Jordan stares at her a moment longer, and then sighs, knowing she isn't going to budge on this. Shaking his head in disbelief that he's allowing it, he says, "You have ten minutes. Then I'm coming back and I'll drag you out if I have to." "You can try."

He grins at the playful smirk she gives him, and then says, "We'll be in the lobby." "Got it."

Jordan pauses in the doorway, watching as Nixie picks Meredith up off the floor. Then they both sit on the bed, Meredith hugging Nixie tight, while Nixie whispers soothing words to her, letting her know its okay.

As soon as he's gone, Meredith whispers, "He's very good for you." Sighing, Nixie says, "Not you too." Meredith just tilts her head, slightly confused, but then cups Nixie's face in her hands. And as strange and… 'off' as this banshee might be, Nixie can't help but listen when Meredith says, "You are beautiful. You are a beauty and you choose not to see it in yourself. And that is all part of what makes you who you are, who they love and cherish as a friend." Glancing towards the door where Jordan had been, Meredith adds, "But he sees it. All of your friends see it, but they are just friends. But the deputy… he sees it to. He knows you're beautiful, inside and out. And he can make you see it too. And you need to let him."

Nixie stares at her for a moment, kind of in shock. Then she shakes herself and asks, "Meredith… you're my friend too. So… are you alright?" Meredith nods, a smile on her face. Then she moves to lay down in bed again. Nixie shakes her head in amazement at the girl, and then stands up to leave. But before she gets out the door, she hears Meredith say, "Let him." Turning back to her, Nixie asks, "What?" "Let him show you the beauty he sees in you. Let him."

Nodding after a moment, not sure what else to say to that, Nixie simply says, "Night Mer." "Goodnight Nixie."

Sighing, Nixie closes the door behind her, and then looks down at her ringing phone. Answering, she says, "Yeah." Derek answers, "Satomi's pack is dead. Most, if not all of it." Frowning, Nixie asks, "How? And since when is Satomi here? And how did we not know that?" "That might be better left for later. Right now, you need to know that they were all killed by some kind of poison. Which means…" Pinching the bridge of her nose, Nixie finishes for him, "Which means we have yet another assassin to contend with. Great. This is freaking fantastic."

Then he tells her he found Braeden among the bodies, and is taking her to the hospital. Nodding, Nixie says, "Keep me posted." "Will do."

Since she has her phone out, Nixie was about to call up Scott and ask for an update on Liam. That's when her entire body becomes frozen in a mixture of fear, shock, and heartache. And why?

Because the light, high-pitched, feminine voice from further up the hall says, "Why, my sweet little girl?! Has my sweet little girl come back to play?!"

Nixie turns her head slowly, both terrified to look, but unable to resist that temptation. She had not seen her mother in years.

Naomi Bennett was still the same. A bit older, and with a few more wrinkles here and there, but still as beautiful as what Nixie remembers. They were so much alike still, with their dark brown hair, blue eyes, and the same shorter stature about their person.

But the smile… it wasn't her mother's smile. It wasn't sweet, kind, or even truly happy. It was large and wide, like the Joker from Batman. And her eyes were wide and wild as they stared at Nixie. The closest comparison Nixie can think of when her mother is in this state, is still that of the character Norman Bates from the movie 'Psycho'. The part where you see him finally dressed up as his mother, knife in hand, charging and about to kill the woman in his fruit cellar.

And wouldn't you know it. Somehow, Naomi managed to pull a knife from the back of her sweatpants. Laughing, the sound becoming more deranged by the second, Naomi says in that sickeningly sweet voice, "Come on sweetheart! Let's play! You know you want to play!"

She has missed her mother, more than anyone could ever imagine. But even so… she knows what to do now. Her mother had told her, back when she'd had moments of clarity, to never come and play. To run away and not be caught.

And as Naomi steps forward now, Nixie does just that. She sprints in the other direction, hearing Naomi scream and take chase after her.

Nixie hadn't thought it was possible for this day to get any worse. But oh… how wrong she had most certainly been.

* * *

And this is Chapter 6. Stay tuned for the intermission. :P


	7. Intermission

Disclaimer: "I do not own Teen Wolf. The show, the characters, and any quotes from the show belong to Jeff Davis and his amazing team of writers. I only own Nixie, and anything I make her do or say."

So, in order to avoid making the last chapter insanely long (at least in my opinion), I opted for doing this bit as an intermission. Kind of how I did in Season 5b. Just a heads up.

Also, when I wrote this story previously, I gave a warning. This is where Naomi Bennett first comes into play, the first time we see her. And it's not pretty. So if the idea of a parent losing their mind, attacking their children... if anything like that is too much for you, then I suggest skipping it. Jump down to the next line break, or just look for the part where Jordan is picking Nixie up to take her back to the car, if you don't want to skip all that far ahead. You have been warned!

Also, I reveal the last portion of the dead pool in this chapter. I just wanted to go ahead and reveal that the individual that I took out, in order to put Nixie in, was the name Angelique Fain. It was hard to pick who had to go, but somebody had to. So, just FYI, she's not there anymore.

Sorry for the interruption. Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 7: Intermission

Jordan isn't sure what's happening right now. He just knows it can't be good.

He'd told Nixie she had ten minutes with Meredith, and she technically still had three left. But orderlies were running around now. Frantic, like they were trying to find something. Or someone. And Nixie was still in the building, which was definitely not good.

Frowning deeper, he decides to hell with the other three minutes. Turning to Stiles and Lydia, he says, "I'm gonna go get her. Head to the car and we'll be out soon." But as he moves to go and find her, towards the left of the building this time, though he's not sure why he thinks that's the best way to go right now, he glances back when he hears Stiles and Lydia following him. Looking at them again, he asks, "Really?" Stiles flails and says, "Yes, really! I'm not standing outside beside your cop car while there's a chance Nixie is in here, getting attacked and hurt by some psychotic nut in this place! Hell no!"

Jordan stares at both of them for a second, and then sighs and says, "Just… stay behind me. And stay close. No wandering off." They both nod to that, and then follow as Jordan leads the way down several halls, trying to locate Nixie.

Meanwhile, Nixie rounds a sharp turn and stops just around it, leaning back against the wall to try and catch her breath. It had been a long time since she'd had to run from her mother. She'd forgotten just how fast that woman could be. And she has a new cut on her left side, from where Naomi had managed to catch her with the knife once. It wasn't deep, by any means, and might not even leave much of a scar, if it left one at all.

Sighing in relief, thankful for that, Nixie freezes up again when she hears Naomi shout, "Sweetheart?! Where are you?! Come out, come out, wherever you are! You know you want to play!" For a moment, Nixie presses back harder against the wall, trying to sink into it. Closing her eyes, she listens for any sounds Naomi might be making, trying to determine where she should go next to get the hell out of this place.

That's when Brunski appears from another hall. He passes by Nixie in a flash, not even seeing her, and then faces Naomi and says, "Ah! There you are, Naomi. Come on. Let's get you back to your room." Naomi hisses at him, actually hisses, before saying, "I don't want to sleep. I want to play! She's here, and I want to play!"

Nixie doesn't have to look to know that the sound of a metal object slicing through the air was made by Naomi, trying to slice at and cut Brunski. Which… okay, Nixie wasn't going to cry over, if it happened.

But then, Nixie's eyes snap open when she hears Brunski curse and say, "Alright, that's it! I don't care what the damn agreement says. It's high time we put you down!" And Nixie gasps when she hears the sound of electricity crackling from the hall. Brunski had an electrified baton, and he was planning on using it on her mother. And Nixie had been on the receiving end of those before.

And as crazy as her mother might be, hell would freeze over, before Nixie let Brunski touch her with that thing.

Jordan was at the other end of the hall, watching this mad woman and Brunski fight and argue. And even though she did seem nuts and she was the one carrying the knife, he wasn't about to let Brunski just up and shock her to death. Drawing his gun, he motions for Lydia and Stiles to stay back while he handles this.

But the voice that shouts, "NO!" It's not his. Brunski turns in surprise, but isn't anywhere near fast enough to stop her as Nixie launches at him. Knocking one knee out from under him, kicking him in the gut and then slamming his head against the wall nearby, she drops him on the ground like a sack of potatoes.

With him out of the way, Nixie looks up at her mother, only to find Naomi already trying to charge at Nixie again. Spinning out of Naomi's way, holding up her hands in a peaceful gesture, Nixie says, "Mom, look at me." "Come on, sweetheart! Let's play!" "Look at me! Please!" Naomi charges again, but Nixie dodges. Grabbing her and slamming Naomi against the wall, pinning her there as well as she can, Nixie screams, "Look at me! Remember me! Mom, please!" "I WANT TO PLAY!"

She kicks off the wall, forcing Nixie back, and then Naomi trips her and pounces on top of her. Finding a new grip on her knife, lifting it with both hands, she smiles insanely down at her daughter. Nixie pleads, "Mom! Please!" "LET'S PLAY!"

And at this point, Nixie was braced for it. It was a sad and wrong fate, to be killed by her own mother, after all she'd faced in the past two and a half years. But as she was trying to fend her off, Nixie was honestly still braced and prepared for it, all the same.

Which is why it was so shocking that, one minute Naomi was preparing to plunge the knife into Nixie's chest… and in the next, she suddenly wasn't there anymore. Sitting up, feeling Naomi's body weight suddenly leave her, Nixie looks in surprise to see Jordan grabbing hold of her. The knife is soon discarded on the floor, kicked away, and then Jordan pins Naomi against the wall, pinning her wrists behind her back. With his other arm, he presses against the back of her shoulders and neck, and then glances over at Nixie.

She was just staring at them, and visibly shaking a bit from what had just happened. Then she jumps when Brunski manages to get back to his feet. Glaring at Nixie, he says, "You bitch! You…" But Jordan quickly snaps, "Hey!" Brunski looks over to him, and before he can say anything else, Jordan demands, "You want to explain to me why one of your patients is out freely roaming the halls and attacked one of my material witnesses? Or, should I ask the better question, and have you explain why you were planning to kill her?"

Brunski stares at Jordan for a moment. And then, though clearly not happy about it, he comes over and takes custody of Naomi. With another guard coming to join him, they wrangle her back up the hall, all the while she's screaming, "But she's here! I want to play! Sweetheart! Tell them you want to play!"

Nixie is frozen on the floor. So much so, that she doesn't even jump, or react at all, when Stiles asks from behind her, "Did you just call her mom? Nixie? Your…" But before he can keep badgering her, Jordan holds up a hand to him so he stops.

Her hands were clenching and unclenching again, and there were tears welling in her eyes, though she was clearly trying to hold them back. And her breathing was labored, as though she couldn't catch her breath, no matter what she did.

This is what she'd been so afraid of since they'd first arrived here. This is what Brunski had been talking about. This is why he'd called her Bennett, rather than Haven. Because Nixie's mother… she was actually a patient in Eichen House. A patient that most definitely needed to be there.

And her own mother had just tried to murder her.

Bending down to her height, Jordan slips a hand under her chin and gently turns her to face him. For a while, they don't say anything. He just looks at her, reading the emotions running across her face. Terror, fear, and sorrow… enough to break his heart for her, ten times over.

And when she finally speaks, Jordan hardly recognizes the soft voice that comes out, as Nixie says, "I… I forgot. I forgot how bad she was. How bad she could be."

Jordan doesn't ask her to explain it right now. He doubts that even if he, or even if her friends asked anything, that she'd even be able to speak to try and answer. And as Stiles looks like he might try to say something to her again, Jordan looks up at him and shakes his head sharply.

Nixie jumps a bit when Jordan's arm moves behind her back. Glancing up at him, she gives him a confused look. Jordan just takes her left hand and lifts her arm so it wraps back behind his neck. Then he slips his other arm beneath her legs and says, "Just hang on. I've got you." Lifting her up off the floor, cradling her close, he looks to Lydia and Stiles and says, "Let's go. We need to get back to the station."

* * *

The ride back is completely silent. Even Stiles doesn't know what to say. He only has questions… and Jordan had made it quite clear that neither of them were to ask Nixie anything right now.

As they pull up to the station, Jordan keeps the car running, the windshield wipers sweeping away the sudden rain that had begun falling as they left Eichen. So strange, since he recalls not a cloud being in the sky when they'd first arrived.

Finally, after a while of everyone just sitting there, Stiles says from the back, "I'll… I'll get Lydia home. We'll work on figuring out the code… some other way." Jordan watches Nixie out of the corner of her eye, seeing her nod just a bit at that. Then she closes her eyes when Stiles adds, "And… tomorrow. Tomorrow we're going to talk about… about all of this, Nixie."

She just nods again, and then Stiles leans forward between the seats. Putting a gentle hand on her shoulder, he says, "Hey. Nix, look at me." She turns slightly, a few tears still falling down her cheeks. For a moment, Stiles just looks back at her with new eyes. He'd never seen her so hurt before. This wasn't terror, like when he or any of the rest of them were in danger and Nixie was scared of losing them. No… this was sorrow. A sorrow that ran so deep, it was unfathomable.

And she had been carrying it alone for so long. Even before she had met him and Scott.

Squeezing her shoulder gently, Stiles says, "You always… always tell us that you have us. That you are going to take care of us, and that you have us." Nixie nods, and then offers him a small smile when Stiles says, "Now I have you. It's going to be okay, Nix. I promise. You hear me?" Nodding again, resting her cheek on his hand, Nixie whispers, "Okay."

Lydia reaches up to touch her too, and then kisses her cheek before leaving the car with Stiles and heading back home.

For a while, Jordan lets the silence continue between them. Nothing but the rain making any sound at all between them. Glancing over at her again, he finds that she's calmed slightly. Still worried, and still exceptionally sad… but calmer. Which also means easier to talk to.

"Nixie?" She tilts her head to let him know she hears him, and though she doesn't speak, Jordan takes it as a sign that he can continue talking. "That was your mom?" She nods once. And before Jordan can speak again, she asks softly, "Do you like the rain?" Jordan pauses for a moment, and then says, "Yeah. Yeah, I like it alright." Nixie nods again and says, "I like rain. I like the sound of it falling. It's kind of peaceful, in a way. Soothing. You think?"

Jordan nods again, and then just waits. Finally, Nixie takes a breath and says, "She… Her name is Naomi. Naomi Bennett. And she is the greatest woman I will ever know. She took care of me until I was… about eight or nine. She… started having episodes when I was about five or six. They don't… no one could ever tell me what was wrong or what happened. Something's just… broken in her mind. Something snapped. And whatever it was; it turns her into that."

Taking another breath, Nixie says, "Back then… she still had moments of clarity. I could scream at her; yell for her to wake up and things like that. I could beg her to see me… and eventually she would. But… she got worse. A lot worse. It turned into a thing where, it wasn't just episodes of her being like that. It was days where I would have to lock myself in my room… waiting for my mom to come back."

Wiping at her eyes in frustration, Nixie says, "One of the last times I saw her sane, she sentenced herself to Eichen House. She'd been working on it for a while, having all the papers drawn up with a special lawyer that could easily spot when she was sane. She made it so she can only ever be released if three different and separate psychiatrists look her over and all deem her cured, healthy, and fit for society again."

She turns to look at him, finding patient eyes watching her, and she says, "She… made me change my name. Didn't want me associated with whatever was wrong with her. Didn't want anyone else to find out that I was her daughter. And she… she made it so I couldn't even come to visit her. She never wanted me to see her like that. Not ever." Eyebrows coming together as she thinks back, Nixie adds, "I… I had honestly forgotten. Just how… how awful it could be to see her like that. To see her and know who she can be, who she really is… and yet not be able to reach her."

Silence takes over again, until Jordan asks gently, "And that's why Brunski said you had to be gone?" Nixie nods, "She never even wanted me to enter the building. I'm never supposed to see her." Jordan nods, and then asks, "And you've never mentioned her? Not to anyone? Not Stiles, Scott… anyone?" She shakes her head and says sadly, "She… she forbid it. I think it's even in writing… somewhere. I'm never supposed to tell anyone. Or… I wasn't. Can't really help it now."

Jordan nods in understanding, and then says, "Then I forgive you for not mentioning it before we went down there." Nixie looks up at him in surprise for a moment, and then smiles a little before letting out a tiny laugh. He smiles gently in kind, and then asks, "Are you alright?" Nodding, Nixie sighs and says, "Yeah. I mean… I feel rather shitty at the moment. I don't think I could ever do anything to really be prepared for that. But… I'm fine. This isn't brand new to me. I know what she was… what she is. I just… guess I needed to be reminded."

For a moment, Jordan just watches her again. And yeah, she looked like she'd be okay. In a little while… maybe. Probably by morning, she'd be alright again. But right now.

Hell no. And he wasn't about to let her go back to her apartment, sitting with herself all alone, after what had just happened.

Nixie blinks in surprise when he puts the car in reverse while asking, "You hungry?" As he pulls away from the station, Nixie says, "Um… well, yeah. I'm starving, actually. But…" Jordan cuts her off, saying, "Good. Because I don't mean to brag, but I'm quite a good cook. Well… descent enough, anyway."

Nixie stares at him for a moment, and then asks, "Wait… where are we going?" Glancing over at her, he says, "My house." "Oh, Jordan. You don't have to do that. I can…" Jordan gives her a look and says, "Don't argue with me, Nixie. Not tonight. You've had a very long day, and I can't just let you leave to go home by yourself after what happened tonight."

Heading them down the road, he says, "So, we're going to my house. And you are going to eat something… a sufficient meal for a change, since you seem to hardly ever give yourself real time to eat." He grins when Nixie finally laughs, and then he adds, "And maybe, if you behave yourself, I'll bring you back in the morning for your bike."

Eyes widening at little at his words, Nixie says sarcastically, "Oh, I'm always on my absolute best behavior." And Jordan's eyes widen so much, that Nixie can't help it. She bursts into laughter beside him, causing Jordan to chuckle.

Then, the last bit of what Jordan said hits Nixie. The part where he would bring her back for her bike in the morning. Which meant… he intended for her to remain at his house tonight.

Purely because he was an officer, performing his duty, trying to keep her safe and make sure she was alright. That was all it was. Of course. And yet… Nixie's heart starts racing at the thought of it.

Lord help her. It really was turning out to be an incredibly long and interesting day.

* * *

He pulled into the garage beside his house and had Nixie remain in the car until he could come around and open the door for her.

Nervous… was an understatement. If he were bringing anyone else into his home, he would've been fine. He rarely cared what people thought of his home, or of him. There were very few people he knew whose opinions really mattered to him.

But Nixie was most certainly one of them, even when they were in disagreement.

He opens the door leading in from the garage, and then says, "So… this is home. It's not much, but…" Nixie scoffs and says, "Compared to my apartment, this is an oasis." Chuckling, he gives her a brief tour so she knows where the bathroom is, the living room, and the kitchen. The kitchen is where they stay, Nixie sitting at the counter in the middle of the room while Jordan checks in his pantry for a moment to see what he has.

He would make her something better, if it weren't already so late. But she needed to eat, and he wanted to be quick about it, because she was finally getting a tired look in her eyes. So, in that light, he comes back out with a can of sauce and a box and asks, "You like spaghetti?" Holding her hands open in a wide gesture, she asks in return, "Who doesn't like spaghetti?" Laughing, he sets the pot of water on the stove to boil. Then he comes to her side and says, "You know… I'm not sure I appreciate the sarcastic tone. I think I might feel offended."

But his grin tells Nixie there's no chance of that. Smiling back at him, she says, "Sorry. But you brought me here, so you should've known. Sarcasm is part of the awesome package that happens to be me. I was trained rather well." Chuckling, Jordan asks, "By who, exactly?" "Stiles, of course." "Right. Yeah, he would be the one."

He sets the sauce in a pot to heat up, and then comes back to lean across from the other side of the counter. Watching her for a moment, he then asks, "Favorite school subject?" Nixie raises an eyebrow, but then smiles and says, "Um… wow, that's tricky. I don't really have one favorite. Though, I guess biology would be one of the favorites. But… I have more of a least favorite." "And that would be history." "Right!"

Jordan checks on the water for a moment, and then turns back when Nixie asks, "So… where did you come from? Before you came to Beacon Hills, I mean." Leaning against the counter again, he says, "I'm actually originally from Virginia." Eyes widening, Nixie says, "Wow. That's… wow, that's literally the complete opposite side of the country. How on earth did you get here?" "Well, like I said. I stared in Virginia. Then I served two tours in the Army. And when I came back stateside… I went to the police academy in Colorado. I had an old college roommate that let me stay with him for a while. After I got back from the Army I… needed some space."

Nixie nods in understanding, and then Jordan says, "After that, I got my first job in Colorado, then moved to take a better position in Nevada. And then, I found my way here, to Beacon Hills." Tilting her head, Nixie asks, "Why'd you leave Nevada though?" Jordan ponders that, and then says, "I just… kind of felt called to come here. Besides, I looked at the statistics on this town, and it seemed like the place for me to be. A place that needs all the help it can get."

Nixie doesn't comment to him saying he felt 'called to come here'. That… was maybe the Nemeton's doing, since Jordan was apparently some supernatural creature. But, she does let out a huff of laughter while saying, "Yeah. Well, we most certainly do need a lot of help." Jordan nods to that, and then checks the water again.

After dumping in the noodles to cook, he comes back and asks, "So… you have plans for after high school? Plans for college?" Nodding, Nixie says, "Lydia and I are both applying for Stanford." Smiling, Jordan says, "That's a top rate school. Any idea what you guys will major in?" "Oh, Lydia will probably double major in the science and mathematics. I seriously can't fathom how there is so much room in her brain for all the stuff she just knows. As for me… I'm not sure yet." Nodding, Jordan gently rests his hand over her now fidgeting one. "There's nothing wrong with not knowing yet. You're a junior in high school. You've got time."

But as he turns back to the stove, he doesn't miss when she whispers, "But do I really? Seems every day some new threat arrives, threatening to kill all of us."

He stirs the noodles, and is about to come back and ask her what that was about… but Nixie's eyes are roaming over his entire house, and then she says, "You should paint a wall in here though." Blinking in surprise, he asks, "Why?" "Because everything is the same. It's all tan, everywhere. Even the counter is a tan sort of stone. It's too much. You need some color. A splash of pink, right over there, would be perfect."

And as the smirk appears on her face, Jordan just laughs and says, "I'm not painting any part of my house pink." "Ah, come on, Jordan!" Shaking his head, he drains the pasta and then serves up two plates of spaghetti. Putting one in front of her, he listens when she says, "I was just kidding though. I hate pink. But you could paint this wall behind us a nice yellow or something. Seriously, just one wall that isn't tan. The whole place would look more alive."

Handing her a fork, he then crosses his arms and asks, "What exactly are you trying to say? That I'm boring?" Eyes widening a little, she exclaims, "Not you! Just the walls in your house! Geez, don't get so emotional."

Nixie sticks fork into her spaghetti and is about to eat a bite, when Jordan pokes her in the side as a reprimand for calling him boring.

It was meant to be quick, and then over and done. But Nixie jumped and then couldn't completely hide the squeak of surprise and laughter that followed. She stays there after that, frozen, looking at him out of the corner of her eye.

The smirk that appears on his face spells trouble, and Nixie quickly says, "No. Do not. I am seriously…" But as he comes at her, she shoots back off the stool she was sitting on in a flash, and then lets out a yelp of laughter when he continues coming after her anyway.

She was squirrely, he'd give her that. It was his house, and yet she managed to jump his couch, squeeze past open doors, and spin past him in a circle; evading him at almost all turns. But… it was still his house, and he knew it better. Nixie finally ran herself into a corner, and before she could backtrack, he had her pinned there, tickling her sides. She shrieked at first, and then dissolved into laughter while trying to shove his hands away.

It was when she reached out to try and tickle him in return that he finally quit. Gripping her wrists, pinning them gently on either side of her head, he lets out a chuckle before taking a deep breath and saying, "You're hard to catch." Laughing, Nixie says, "Yeah. I've been trained by the best. You did good though. You're terrible for making me run around like that… but you did good." "Oh, I'm terrible, am I?" "Yep. Without question."

But she's laughing, so he takes no offense at her words. His thumbs at her wrists begin rubbing in gentle circles against the inside of her wrists. Sighing, Jordan teases, "Well… that's what you get for insulting a man's home." "I wasn't insulting it! I was making a suggestion! A very strong suggestion!"

He raises an eyebrow at her, but Nixie just smiles and shrugs again. And they stay that way for a minute… Jordan's thumbs rubbing gentle circles, and Nixie not fighting him to get off the wall.

Jordan had known this would happen. Nixie was good; very good, at keeping things bottled up. But he'd known this would happen eventually. It's why he hadn't let her go home alone tonight. Because it didn't actually matter that she was perfectly aware that her mother was broken. It didn't matter that Nixie knew her mother might try to kill her if they saw each other again.

It didn't matter… because the fact remained that she had still nearly been killed tonight. And if that were all, then that part might not have phased her. He'd seen too often how close to death she and all of her friends came, and that never seemed to really affect them. But this… the fact that it would've been her mother that had killed her. That was the thing that was upsetting for Nixie. That was the thing that had her breathing shakily once again, and her hands trembling a bit.

And now Nixie struggles a little, before asking, "Um… can I have my hands back?" But as he watches the tears build a bit in her eyes, he shakes his head and says, "No, Nixie. Not yet." Biting her lip, she ducks her head down and says, "Please. I… I don't want…"

He doesn't let go, but he does pull her off the wall. Drawing her arms so they wrap around his waist, he wraps his arms around her and says, "I know you don't like falling apart, Nixie. I get that, I really do. But… every now and then… this is what you need." Cradling her head against his chest, he can't help himself. He presses a kiss to the top of her head and says, "So let go, Nixie. Just for a few minutes, let it all go. I promise it'll be okay. I'll be right here, making sure you don't fall. It's okay. Just let it go."

The first sob comes out of her as if torn from her body. Her shoulders jerk harshly from trying so hard not to. But after that, it becomes a flood that never stops. Her hands find purchase against his back, clinging to him as if he was the only thing keeping her grounded in reality. And Jordan just keeps a tight hold on her, resting his cheek on top of her head, whispering to her softly to comfort her, and to hopefully soothe the ache he knows she must be feeling.

When he feels her legs begin shaking, he removes one arm from around her. Shifting gently, slipping her arms around his neck once more, he bends down enough to scoop her legs out from under her, and then carries her to the living room couch. Sitting down, keeping her against him, he rubs one hand up and down her arm, trying to warm her suddenly even colder body.

The rain outside has begun pouring even harder than before, which Jordan still can't understand. But if Nixie liked the rain… then he was grateful for its presence.

It takes a while, but she finally settles down again. Sighing against Jordan's chest, she says, "Sorry." He just squeezes her tighter and says, "Don't apologize, Nixie. It's not your fault." She nods a bit, and then lets out a tiny huff of laughter before saying, "Geez. Now I'm tired." Smiling, Jordan says, "Come on. You need to eat something first. Then we'll get you to sleep." She nods in response, and doesn't argue when he carries her back into the kitchen.

He sticks their plates in the microwave for a bit, and then sits them back on the table. As Nixie takes a bite, she sighs and says, "This is good." Smiling gently, Jordan says, "It's not much, but thank you. I slaved a whole twenty or so minutes over the stove to hear you say that." Laughing, Nixie says, "Well, consider it a success then." "Thank you."

Once it's all gone, Jordan finds a pair of sweatpants and another old police academy t-shirt for her to put on to sleep in. In the bathroom, as she takes off her own shirt, she finds the blood stain from when her mom had cut her with the knife. It was small, barely even noticeable, compared to other times. But she would definitely need to wear something else tomorrow when she went to see Lydia.

Maybe Jordan would let her keep this shirt as well.

When she's ready and out of the bathroom, Jordan leads her into the bedroom. And he chuckles when she quickly tells him that she's not about to kick him out of his own bed. He'd suspected as much of an argument from her. So he told her it was a spare room, and she calmed and climbed into bed.

He was tucking her in, making sure she was comfortable, and was about to leave, when she put a gentle grip on his wrist. Drawing it in, holding his hand close to her, her eyes droop tiredly as she says, "Stay. Just a minute. Please? Just… just till I fall asleep." Smiling softly at her, Jordan takes a seat on the edge of the bed and says, "Whatever you need, Nixie."

It doesn't take her long. She was exhausted. And as soon as Jordan hears her breathing even out, he stands up from the bed and carefully extracts his hand from her grip. And before he can hesitate or overthink it, he leans over and presses another kiss to the top of her head. Brushing some of her hair from her face, he whispers, "Goodnight, Nixie."

In his own living room, in a different pair of sweatpants, he removes his uniform shirt and the t-shirt he'd been wearing underneath. Then he settles down on the couch to go to sleep.

He didn't have a spare room. The room meant to be a spare bedroom was what he used for extra storage, and it didn't even have an extra bed in it. But he was not about to actually have Nixie sleep on the couch. Hell no.

Yawning, he grabs a blanket from the back of the couch, and is already almost asleep, when his phone rings. Answering, he says, "This is Parrish." "Deputy Parrish? This is a courtesy call from Eichen House. We just wanted to inform you that Meredith Walker has committed suicide tonight. We found her an hour ago in her room. We understand you were questioning her about a murder investigation, and we understand that this will make things harder on your case."

Blinking in surprise, Jordan asks, "Suicide? Are you sure?" "Yes sir, quite." Sighing, he says, "Um… thank you, for the information. I'll be sure to tell the sheriff, first thing in the morning." "Goodnight, deputy."

After hanging up, Jordan sits there, trying to understand why that would've happened. Nixie was the last person with Meredith. And though he'd given her ten minutes, he knows she would've never left at all, if she hadn't thought that Meredith would be fine. You probably couldn't have dragged Nixie away, if she'd thought Meredith was even close to suicidal. So… in light of that… what the hell?

Then his phone rings again, and Jordan answers, "This is Parrish." "Jordan! It's Lydia. Listen, we need to go back to Eichen House." Blinking in surprise again, Jordan asks, "What? Why?" "Because I figured out the last cipher key. I have the rest of the dead pool. And Meredith's name is on it. We have to warn her. She needs…" Jordan cuts her off gently by saying, "Lydia, listen to me for a minute."

And because he can't really think of a nice way to break this to her, he sighs and says, "Lydia… Meredith's gone." "What… what are you talking about?" "Lydia, she's gone. They found her about an hour ago in her room. She hung herself." When Lydia doesn't respond to that, Jordan says gently, "I'm sorry."

More silence, and Jordan is a little worried and is about to ask if Lydia's even still there. But then Stiles gently takes the phone from Lydia and says, "Thanks, Parrish. I've got her." Nodding, Jordan hangs up, and then figures he'd better go ahead and call Noah to let him know what happened.

After that, he settles back down on the sofa and closes his eyes. The day had been too long, and he needed to rest. Plus, he was hoping to wake up before Nixie did in the morning. Heaven help him if she figured out that he'd slept on the couch while she slept in the bed.

* * *

At Lydia's house, after Stiles had managed to calm her down after learning about Meredith, they both sit in front of the computer, looking at the rest of the dead pool. Why? Because Meredith Walker's name, along with Liam Dunbar's, wasn't the most shocking of names they'd actually seen on the list. It went as follows…

SATOMI ITO – 9

MALIA HALE – 3

LIAM DUNBAR – 2

MEREDITH WALKER – 1

LIZ MOORE – 1

PATRICK CLARK – 1

BREE LEVERETT – 250

KAITLYN SCHAAR – 250

GENEVIVE CARY – 250

LORILEE ROHR – 250

BRITTANI KEGLEY - 250

NIXIE HAVEN – 25

Lydia and Stiles stare at that last name for a long while. Not only was it Nixie, who shouldn't even be on the list. But… she was worth a lot. She was worth the same as Scott, who was a true alpha.

Shaking his head, Stiles says, "It… doesn't…" But try as he might, he couldn't honestly say that it didn't make any sense. Nixie could hear what she shouldn't be able to. Sure, she'd always been able to do that… but she still shouldn't be able to, if she were just human. And she was always cold, entirely too cold, for just a normal human being. And her glare… well, maybe that could just be chalked up to everyone knowing that she was more than willing to kick the ass of anyone that didn't leave her friends the hell alone.

He didn't want it to make sense. Lydia didn't either. Neither of them wanted Nixie to be on this list. But she was. And she was worth a lot. And somebody was going to try and kill her, same as they were everybody else.

Finally, after a moment more of silence, Lydia says, "We don't tell her." Stiles glances at her and says, "She won't like that." "I don't care. We'll… we'll tell her later. Not now. Certainly not tonight. Not after… after everything. No… we'll just, we'll wait a while." "How long?"

Taking in a breath, staring at her best friend's name, Lydia says, "I don't know. I just… I don't know."

* * *

Nixie lets her head drop down onto the counter when Kira asks, "So, wait? Your mom is a patient at Eichen?" Lifting her head, she says, "Yes." Silence is the response she gets over the phone. In the interest of only having to explain it once, Stiles had put through everyone in a conference call on the phones, so everyone was listening at the same time.

Finally, Scott asks over the line, "Why didn't you tell us?" Running a hand through her hair, Nixie says, "I was never supposed to tell anyone. It's part of whatever agreement she had her lawyer put together before she signed herself into the facility. I was too little to really understand it all at the time. I just know I wasn't supposed to say anything."

Lydia sighs and says, "Well, from now on, the secrets have to stop. And I mean about everything, Nixie. Understood?"

Nixie knows that Lydia is referring more to the scars on her body than anything else… and Nixie feels certain that Lydia will make that known to everyone at some point. But for now… the thing that comes to Nixie's mind first is the fact that… well, that she's homeless.

She compares the two in her mind, and decides that for now, she'd definitely rather deal with them finding out she was homeless. For her, that one seems like the one people would freak out about the least. It's also the easier problem to fix. So she says, "Fine. In the interest of that, we all need to get together later to talk about another secret of mine. But that can wait until after you guys take the PSATs."

Another pause follows that, and then Scott says, "Fine." Then Stiles cuts in, "But just so I can be aware, are you about to tell us that you're some sort of supernatural creature too, and you just never told us?" Blinking in surprise, Nixie says, "Um… no. Why would you even think that? I definitely would've already told you guys about that. Considering everything else we deal with on a daily basis; that would probably seem like a rather normal issue to bring up. So why…"

Stiles cuts her off, and she can practically see him flailing his arms as he says, "What? I'm not allowed to speculate and wonder about stuff like that?! We have assassins to deal with people! Assassins! I'm allowed to speculate."

Grinning and rolling her eyes, Nixie says, "Fine, you're allowed to speculate. But no, I'm not supernatural. Anyways… now, someone else go. Scott… I remember you had something to tell me. Is that a thing still?" A pause, and then Scott says, "No, not a thing anymore. And because I know you're going to ask, yes, Liam is fine. And I already said that. Five times." "Well, nobody called me last night to inform me! That is definitely information that should be given immediately!"

Everyone laughs a little at that, and then Nixie asks, "Malia. How's Braeden? Do you know?" Malia answers, "She's not dead, which is good, I guess. Derek is staying with her, which is why he's not on the call. Also, Derek wanted me to tell you that Satomi wasn't among the dead members of her pack. So, she might still be alive somewhere." Nodding to herself, Nixie says, "Good."

Then Lydia says, "Um… well, I have two things. One is… well, it's good and bad, I guess. I figured out the rest of the list. I'll send you a picture later. I already sent one to Scott."

And in truth, Nixie was the last person called to attend this conference call. Stiles had gotten everyone else on it first, including Derek at the time, and had explained to all of them that Nixie was the last name on the list, and that she was worth the same as Scott. And everyone had also been told not to mention anything about it to Nixie. Lydia had already edited the picture she'd send, so Nixie wouldn't receive her own name, and so she wouldn't see that Malia was actually on the list as 'Malia Hale'. They would worry about what she was later. Hopefully after they'd taken care of all the assassins.

Nixie nods and says, "Great. I knew you could do it, Lydia." "Thanks Nix. And the other thing is… um…" She takes a breath, and then says, "Meredith is dead." Nixie freezes at that and asks, "What?" Nodding, Lydia says, "I called Jordan last night to tell him that we needed to warn her about being on the dead pool. But he had apparently gotten a call not too long before that, and they told him that she'd hung herself in her room."

Frowning deeply, Nixie shakes her head and says, "No. That… doesn't make any sense. She was fine when I left. I never would've left if she hadn't been fine. She…" Lydia says, "I know. And Stiles and I both figured that, so we think…" Sighing, Nixie pinches the bridge of her nose while saying, "Someone got to her first. Great. Just freaking great."

More silence, and then Nixie asks, "Anybody else got anything to add to these glorious revelations." Everyone says no, so Nixie says, "Then good luck on your tests today, guys. I know you're all going to do great. You too, Malia. Don't stress." "Thanks, Nixie." And after everyone says their own little goodbye into the conference call, Nixie hangs up and then turns to face the living room, which is across from the kitchen.

When she'd woken up earlier, she'd had half a mind to kick Jordan off the sofa and into the floor. Simply for the fact that he'd lied to her. He didn't have a spare room. He was on the couch. But then he would've been awake, and she would've had to hide in his bathroom to have this conference call with her friends, and she wasn't in the mood for that. So… she let him continue sleeping.

And as she walks around the couch to see him again, she admits that he looks rather peaceful in his sleep. Handsome too, but that wasn't new information. He was handsome all the time. Literally, Nixie thought he was, all the time.

Lord help her. She was going to get herself in a lot of trouble one day.

She briefly considers waking him up now… but then decides against it. Instead, she goes back to the kitchen, digs around in his fridge and cabinets, and finds bacon, eggs, and biscuit mix. Nixie wasn't what she'd call a great cook. She could get by, and no one complained about the food she made when she made it. But when it came to breakfast… Nixie knew what she was doing. It was the most important meal of the day. And even if she did have to settle for just eating a protein bar… she always managed to eat some type of breakfast.

When she's nearly finished with the food, she comes back to the living room and stands by the couch for a minute. She pondered briefly, simply shaking Jordan awake, making it a rather peaceful wake-up call. But then she remembered she was annoyed with him, so instead she kicks the sofa, jostling it and him.

Jumping a bit, he glances around and then looks up at her, arms crossed over her chest and eyes narrowed as she's looking down at him. "What?" Her eyes, if possible, become sterner, so Jordan straightens up a bit and asks more seriously, "What? What's wrong?" Pointing to him, Nixie says, "Several things are wrong. The first one being that Meredith is dead, and you didn't wake me up to tell me that."

Sighing, Jordan drops his head back onto the pillow for a moment. Lydia must've told her at some point. Looking up at her again, he says, "You were already asleep. I was gonna tell you now, in the morning, after you'd gotten plenty of rest after yesterday."

Then he catches a whiff of cooked bacon, and realizes that she didn't just wake up. Raising an eyebrow, he says, "But you apparently wake up rather early, even without an alarm." Nixie shrugs and asks, "Don't you wake up early?" He chuckles and says, "Not without an alarm. And not when it's my day off."

The sternness of her gaze slips a bit when she hears that she woke him up on his day off. She was at least a little sorry about that. But then she moves her hands to her hips and says, "Well, that just leads us into the next problem I found this morning. You told me I was sleeping in the guest room. If that's true, then why the hell are you on the couch?"

Huffing, Jordan wipes a hand down his face, trying to wake himself up a little bit more, and then answers, "I say again, you wake up entirely too early on a Saturday." "Jordan, that does not explain why…"

He sits up finally, and as the blanket slips down from his chest and pools at his hips, Nixie feels her throat lock up for a moment. Shit, she was in trouble. The man was fine. He was toned and muscled and ripped and… Lord, she was in trouble.

Jordan, oblivious for now, rises to his feet and simply says, "No, I don't have a guest room. Yes, I put you in my bed. I was of the hope that you would get a decent night's sleep after what I'm sure was a rather crummy day, yesterday. And yes, I slept on the couch. It is not nearly as uncomfortable as you seem to think it is."

Leaning closer towards her, he says, "And I'm not sorry for any of that, either." Nixie stares at him for moment, and then says, "You're infuriating." But Jordan just grins at her response, and then glances towards the kitchen. Tilting his head, he asks, "Did you raid my kitchen?" Ducking her head a bit and blushing, she says, "I… sort of. I made breakfast. I figured… I mean… well, I owe you something. Granted, it's still all your own food, but I did all the cooking this time, so you wouldn't have to."

Smiling gently at her, Jordan says, "Well, thank you. I admit, I don't usually eat breakfast." "What?!" And with that, she grabs hold of his hand and drags him into the kitchen, sitting him down to eat, while going into a tirade about how skipping breakfast is an absolutely terrible idea, and one of the worst thing's for you.

For his part, Jordan just sits at the counter and eats what she gives him, watching her walk around in his kitchen, finishing cooking her biscuits and brewing a cup of coffee. Her tirade never stops, even as she sets a biscuit on his plate, more eggs, and also a cup of hot, black coffee. She was fixing a plate for herself when Jordan finally stood up and moved to the coffee pot. Nixie glances over at him and then adds to her tirade, "And it makes you gain weight. There are studies about this, I'm pretty sure. Your body starts trying to store up extra fat and stuff because when you skip breakfast, your body begins to think that you're starting to starve."

Jordan nods to show he's listening, and as he pulls down another mug from the cupboard, he says, "I just don't usually have time to make breakfast." Scoffing at him, Nixie asks, "Then why do you have bacon?!" Glancing over at her, he answers, "I like bacon."

Nixie narrows her eyes at him, and Jordan grins before saying, "Come on, Nixie. Besides, I work out to keep myself in shape. I have to, or you can't pass the annual fitness tests to remain on the force. I think I'm okay." "You think that now. Wait until a year goes by, and you haven't eaten any breakfast. We'll see if you still have a six-pack then." Jordan glances down at himself, and then pauses for a moment before drawing his eyes back up to her.

She was turning away from him, but her blush was spreading all the way to her neck, so it was impossible to miss.

Yep, she was in trouble. She hadn't meant to say that. Lord, the man was going to be the death of her. She felt like she must look like the twitchiest person alive, with how her hands kept fidgeting. She wanted to touch him, and she seriously could not let herself do that. The man just needs to put a shirt on. She'd regain her sanity if he would just do that. Then she wouldn't be bombarding him with how important breakfast was, and spurting out that she'd seen his six-pack and would probably never forget it.

She's fidgeting around the pan of eggs, trying to make herself look busy, when Jordan reaches around her and puts the mug of coffee on the counter before her. He was entirely too close. Nixie was actually very conscious of the fact that she was holding her breath, praying he'd move away from her soon so she could breathe again.

Still entirely too close, he says gently, "If it concerns you that much, I'll work on trying to eat breakfast as least once every week." Jumping a bit, Nixie says, "That doesn't help. You have to eat breakfast every day. And not having time to cook is no excuse. You can eat protein bars." "Nah. I like bacon too much."

Nixie snaps her head around to look at him, still directly beside her. He grins down at her, and then laughs when she throws up her hands helplessly and says, "I give up." "Doubtful. But nice try." Nixie bites at the inside of her cheek to keep from smiling at that, and then says, "By the way, thanks for the cup, but I can't drink my coffee black." "I am well aware." She glances up at him, and then back at the mug he'd sat before her.

And it wasn't black. And as she leaned closer… she got a whiff of what smelled exactly like the coffee Stiles always made for her. Eyes widening, Nixie looks to Jordan and then says, "You do not! You do not seriously have all of that here!" Jordan shrugs, and then chuckles when Nixie takes a sip and sighs as though she's in heaven. Munching on another piece of bacon, Jordan says, "By the way, this is all wonderful."

Smiling, Nixie says, "Thanks." "Anytime, Nixie."

She's taking another sip of her coffee, a ridiculous smile on her face, when she freezes as Jordan asks, "Now, about my abs. Do you _really_ think I should worry about them?"

And as she nearly chokes on her coffee and Jordan rubs a soothing hand up her back, a deep chuckle escaping his lips, Nixie nods to herself. Because yes, this man was going to kill her.

But hey… at least she'd die happy.

* * *

Intermission complete! Chapter 7 to follow as soon as I'm able. Hope you're enjoying it so far. :)


	8. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: "I do not own Teen Wolf. The show, the characters, and any quotes from the show belong to Jeff Davis and his amazing team of writers. I only own Nixie, and anything I make her do or say."

And again, I just want to throw out there again, that I am not an expert in the legal department or anything like that. Nixie's situation that I created concerning her mom, concerning where she had been staying, and concerning where she ends up... I have no idea as to how realistic that may be. But, again, I'm hoping you'll provide some leeway on that, considering Isaac in Seasons 2 and 3.

Okay, sorry to interrupt. (I always seem to do that.) Enjoy! :)

* * *

Chapter 7: Episode 4x7

Nixie was staring at her old shirt, debating whether to even put it on. She could just zip up her jacket until she got to the shack, and then change into something else. Currently, she was still in Jordan's shirt, but she planned on taking it off soon. She didn't plan on asking him if she could have it. No… no, she was definitely not that desperate.

Tossing the shirt in her bag, about to content herself with removing Jordan's shirt and zipping up her coat… Nixie hears her phone ring from out in the kitchen.

Jordan looks up from the stool he was still sitting on as Nixie comes back. She was still wearing his shirt, which had him looking back down so she wouldn't see him grinning like an idiot.

His smile slipped though and Nixie answers her phone, "Yeah, Lydia? What's…" Lydia cuts her off over the phone, and as she speaks rapidly, Nixie blinks in confusion before saying, "Hey, whoa, take a breath. Slow down. Lyd… Lydia… Lydia!"

Lydia pauses and asks, "What?" "Lydia, I love you to death, you know that. But I didn't understand any of what you just said. I swear, you were speaking faster than Stiles usually does, and that is certainly saying something." "Sorry. I just… um… I found something, and… You just need to come here." "Okay, I can work with that. Where's here?" "The lake house. I'm at the lake house." "I'll be there in ten."

Hanging up, Nixie then glances down at what she's wearing again and groans. Raising an eyebrow, Jordan asks, "What's wrong?" "Oh, nothing really. Lydia needs me, which means I don't have time to go home and change. Which means I'm going to have to show up in the same clothes I wore yesterday. And if Lydia sees me wearing the same outfit two days in a row, she's going to blow a fuse. And I cringe at the thought of what she might try to make me change into."

Jordan chuckles a little, and then says, "Well, then keep the shirt." Nixie pauses and then looks at him again before saying, "I… really? I mean, it's your shirt, I don't…" "Nixie, I can't even wear those anymore. Take it with you. And good luck with Lydia." "Thanks, Jordan." "Anytime, Nixie."

* * *

When Lydia steps out of the lake house to meet Nixie as she pulls up, she calms down a bit when she sees Nixie wearing Jordan's shirt. It was good that it took her mind off of Meredith… she needed to focus on something else for a bit.

Crossing her arms, Lydia asks, "Why are you wearing one of his shirts? Again, I might add." Nixie rolls her eyes and says, "I promised you guys no more secrets. But you'd think that I'd at least be allowed to step inside first. I mean, geez. What happened to the common courtesy around here?" Lydia raises an eyebrow and says, "I'm pretty sure the assassins killed it." "Ah. Touché, my dear friend. Touché."

After getting inside, Nixie sighs and says, "Okay, so to recap the remainder of last night… after you and Stiles left, Jordan refused to let me go home alone. He was worried that I was going to have a nervous breakdown from nearly being killed by my mother. And, to his credit, he was correct. I… sort of had a meltdown later on at his house. But, in any case, he took me to his house, made me dinner… and then he… put me to bed.

When Lydia doesn't say anything, Nixie turns to find her staring in shock, her mouth hanging open a bit. Raising an eyebrow, Nixie says, "That's an excellent way to catch flies, you know?" "Oh, shut up! You stayed the night at his house! You slept with him!" "No! God, no! He put me to bed. He slept on the couch. Get your mind out of the gutter, please."

Smirking, Lydia says, "Oh my gosh. This what like your first date." "Lydia, this was not a first date. He took me to his house. He let me cry, which turned out to be some exceptionally ugly crying, I might add. And then he put me to sleep in his bed, because I was exhausted, and he slept on the couch. It was not a date. Not even close."

Lydia just crosses her arms again and asks, "So why are you wearing one of his shirts? Again?" "Because you called and said I needed to come straight here, which meant I had no time to go get a change of clothes before coming here. And I was not about to let you dress me up in one of your outfits… and when I told all of that to Jordan, he said I could have his shirt."

Smirking again, she says, "Uh huh." "What?! That's what happened!" "Nixie, come on. I can't believe you seriously don't think he is falling in love with you right back. I mean, how many other women have you ever seen wearing one of his shirts?" Nixie gives her a look and says, "Lydia. How many other women has he met that he has, A, picked up out of a rain storm? And B, allowed to sleep in his house for fear of them having a complete emotional meltdown from nearly being murdered?"

Huffing, Lydia says, "I can't understand how you can be so optimistic for the rest of us, and then so pessimistic for yourself." "It's a simple fact, Lydia." "Which just makes it that much more ridiculous, since nothing… literally nothing… that we ever have to deal with, is simple."

Nixie finally laughs at that and says, "Well; I concede that you do have a point there." Smiling, Lydia says, "I'll take it for now. Alright, I'll badger you more later. Right now, come and look at this." In the den of the lake house, Lydia picks up the picture of Meredith from the coffee table. Showing it to Nixie, she says, "See this? This was taken in the soundproof room with the record player. I found it in the box of her things that I got from Eichen."

Nodding, Nixie asks, "What do you think it means?" "I'm not sure. I mean… I don't even think my parents know Meredith. They wouldn't have ever heard of her before." Nixie makes a thoughtful noise in the back of her throat, and then says, "So… aside from your parents, and you… who else would've had access to the lake house? Who would've been able to bring her here? Furthermore… why was she brought here in the first place?" Lydia nods, "All very good questions. And I'm not sure. Yet."

Nixie grins and says, "I'm enjoying the determination. So, we should probably begin researching who in your family first purchased this place. Maybe we could…" But before she finishes, she tilts her head towards the sound of the TV in the living room. Frowning, she asks, "What?"

Lydia looks to her, and then asks, "What? What's going on? Do you hear something?" "Yeah, the TV. But… that can't be right."

She marches into the room, Lydia on her heels. And as they look at the screen, Lydia gasps as they see the footage of all the hazmat teams in front of the school. The CDC was there, along with the FBI and the majority of the police department. And at the bottom of the screen, the headline reads of the potentially fatal virus that is spreading amongst the students inside the school.

Lydia and Nixie look at each other, and Lydia doesn't argue when Nixie says, "I'm driving. Don't you dare let go of me."

* * *

As Lydia approaches the police barricade, one of the officers moves forward to shove her back. "Sheriff! Sheriff!" The officer makes to grab and push her, saying, "Look, you can't…" Then Nixie fixes him with a glare so fierce, he actually feels a dreadful chill wash over him.

Lydia stares between the two, marveling at what Nixie can do. Beforehand, she'd never seen the action as strange. It was just Nixie… the way she always was. But now… knowing that Nixie was on the dead pool… it put everything about Nixie, everything she ever did and could do, into a whole new light.

Glaring at the officer, Nixie says, "Touch her, and I will break you in half." Then she looks past him and shouts sharply, "Noah!" From where he is, closer to the school, Noah turns around and then says, "Hey, whoa! I know these two, let them in." Nixie fixes the officer with one more look, and then pulls Lydia to follow behind her. Approaching Noah, Lydia asks, "My mom is in there. What is happening?"

Drawing them further away from the rest of the people, Noah says, "We're working on it. I promise. Just… give me a minute, and stay close." Nixie nods, and then puts an arm around Lydia. Squeezing her tight, Nixie says, "Focus on the bright side." "And what is that, exactly?" "Well, for now, it's that your mom is almost assuredly going to be fine." "You don't know that."

Nixie gives her a look and says, "I _know_ , that this is probably another assassination attempt. In which case, I also _know,_ that the targets aren't human. The targets are supernatural. Your mom will be fine. It's the others we have to worry about."

Then Noah comes back. Pulling them further aside, he looks to Lydia and says, "As all this is still very new to me, and I don't know how it works… I still have to ask. Do you have any kind of… indication? Any kind of feeling… about this? Is someone in there going to die?"

Nixie freezes for a moment when Lydia says with certainty, "Yes. And it's not just a feeling."

The hand over Lydia's shoulder becomes so cold that Lydia glances at it and winces from the dropping temperature. But upon seeing that it's Nixie's hand causing it, she turns back to Nixie worriedly. "Nix?" Looking up at Lydia, Nixie shakes herself back to normal and says, "I'm fine. But we need to figure out how to save them. Noah, do we have any idea what is causing this?"

He sighs and says, "The CDC is working on it… but so far, nothing. It's not appearing to be anything they've ever seen before." Nodding, Nixie then says, "Then maybe we're asking the wrong expert." When both of them look at her in confusion, Nixie says, "If we're thinking assassin, which means it's targeting the supernatural; that means we need a supernatural expert to try and help us figure out what's going on. And we only really have one of those."

Lydia nods, "Deaton." "Exactly. Now, I'm gonna step over here to make a call. Noah… please tell your officers to not stop me from coming back in when I want to. I will not hesitate to kick all of their asses. I don't care if they press charges of assaulting an officer right now."

Noah nods in understanding, and then Nixie hurries away, trying to find the signal on her phone again so she can make the call to Deaton. She's just gotten a signal back, when her phone rings on its own. Tilting her head, curious at seeing Melissa's name, she answers, "Yeah?" "Nixie! Oh, thank God! No one was answering! I thought…" "Melissa, we're at the school. They've shut down the cell service here. I just got far enough away to get signal back. Listen, I can't talk right now. I have to call…"

But then Deaton's voice says over the line, "Nixie, you're on speaker. You need to listen." "Oh! Hi Deaton! I was about to call you. What's up?" "We know what's going on."

Satomi, who is listening beside Derek around the table where the phone is sitting, tilts her head curiously when Nixie says, "Ah; and that is a beautiful sound. People giving me answers. Lay it on me." Deaton answers, "It's a virus specific to harming and killing animals in the wild. This version has been enhanced and weaponized, and it will kill werewolves."

A pause, and then Nixie says, "Okay, for the record, I don't have time for dramatic pauses. Somebody cut to the chase, and make it snappy. We can save them, right?" Deaton nods and says, "There is an antidote. It's called Reishi. You might not know what…"

But everyone is surprised when Nixie cuts him off and says, "Yeah, got it. Reishi. A mushroom. Noshiko used some last year to save Ken from dying because of something the Nogitsune did to him. But she doesn't have nearly enough for everybody. Where else can I find it?" Moving forward, Derek says, "There's a jar of it in the vault beneath the school. Somehow, you need to find Scott and tell him to find it." "Derek, how? He's not a Hale, and no one else around here is. How in the hell is he…" "Nixie, I'm sure it'll be explained later. But for right now, you need to tell him this, or they're going to die."

Nixie sighs and says, "Fine. I'm running back to the school, I'll probably lose you. Anything else I should know?" Satomi answers, "Depending on how long they've been infected, they may not have much time. If it's worse for them, like it was my pack, then they've probably isolated themselves from the rest of the humans."

Taking a breath, Nixie then asks, "Is that Satomi?" Deaton answers, "Yes." And in spite of the danger looming over them, all three of her friends smile while Satomi's eyes widen as Nixie says, "Well hi, Satomi! For the record, I'm exceptionally happy that you're not dead! I'd talk more, but I'm in a hurry. Thanks!"

The line dies a few seconds later, and then Melissa says, "Now all we can do is hope she's fast enough."

Derek smiles a little and says, "I don't think there's anyone who could possibly get it done faster. And yes, I'm comparing her to werewolf standards, too." Melissa smiles her appreciation at the confidence. Satomi looks between all of them, and then says, "She is… rather odd." Derek chuckles and says, "Yes, perhaps she is. But in all the best ways, I assure you."

Then he turns back to Melissa and Deaton, and then says, "And… I don't know if anyone has told you guys or not. But… Nixie… she isn't just special because of how overprotective she is. And she isn't just amazing because of how fiercely she fights alongside all of us."

Glancing between the two, he sighs and says, "She's… on the list. She's on the dead pool."

Melissa and Deaton take a moment to process that, and then Deaton says, "I'll begin working on figuring out what she might be… based on what we do know is unique about her. Anything else?" Nodding, Derek says, "She's… something special. You know how Scott is a true alpha, and he's worth twenty-five million?"

They nod, and then Melissa gasps when Derek says, "Whatever Nixie is… she's at least as unique as that, because she's worth the same amount. Twenty-five million." Deaton and Melissa look at each other, and then Deaton says, "I'll get to work on it. Fast."

* * *

Nixie blows past the barrier of cops, not one of them daring to get in her way as she barrels past them. Noah is about to ask her what the sudden hurry is, but she blows past him too and shouts, "Rafe!"

Agent McCall spins around to look at her, and actually takes a step back for fear that she might not be able to stop, and just run right into him. Panting as she reaches him, she says, "I don't have time to explain. Can you get into the school? Will they let you?" Blinking in surprise, he answers, "Yes." "Good. Go in there, find Stiles, and tell him that there's an antidote. It's in the vault, with them. It's reishi mushrooms. In a jar, on a shelf, in the vault."

Frowning, Rafe says, "Nixie, what's going on? I need to know more if…" The look she fixes him with stops him cold, literally. It wasn't one of anger or frustration. It wasn't even annoyance.

It was fear. Terror like he'd never seen in a person's eyes before. And not for herself. That's confirmed when she says, "Rafe, I cannot take the time to tell you everything. We are out of time. If you do not get in there and find someone we trust and tell them what they need to know… my boy is going to die. Scott, Kira, and Malia… they're going to die. And that is not acceptable. Do you understand?"

He doesn't waste time arguing with her. He nods and asks, "Reishi mushrooms?" "Yes! In the vault, in a jar, on a shelf. Please, hurry!" Nodding again, he says, "They're gonna be alright." Then he hurries past her to get a suit from the CDC.

Lydia and Noah come up to her to ask what happened, and after she explains it, Noah sighs and says, "I guess there's nothing left to do now… except wait." Lydia glances down to Nixie's bouncing foot, and then whispers to Noah, "Yeah… unfortunately when we're in danger, that's not exactly her strongest suit." "I know."

But, seeing that she can't do anything else, Nixie does let Noah lead her away from the scene. Back to an area where her phone service will work again, in case Melissa or Deaton need to call back with some other bit of information. Lydia sits with her back to some of the cop cars, in a chair someone had gotten for her. There's a chair for Nixie too, but she doesn't bother. She simply paces back and forth, and Lydia can see the gears in her head turning a mile a minute. And every second longer it takes for them to start coming out, is another minute closer to Nixie snapping and finding a way in, regardless of who she had to take out of the equation to make it happen.

Noah glances over at them, sighing as he watches Nixie's frantic pace. Then his radio goes off, so he says into it, "This is Stilinski. Go." "Sheriff, it's Parrish. I just saw the news. What's going on at the school?" "At this point… we're still not certain." "Do you need any extra help down there? I know it's my day off, but I don't mind."

Noah smiles a bit at the offer, and then says, "No, but thank you, Parrish. The thought is appreciated, but I think we've actually got more hands down here than we know what to do with, at this point." Nodding, Jordan says, "Alright. If that changes, let me know." "I will."

After signing off his radio, Noah looks back to Nixie again. She was still pacing, and a hand was running through her hair every few seconds. If something didn't change soon, he was actually worried about what she might try to do.

Then a thought occurred to him, and he steps far enough out of the boundary zone so that his cell phone will work for a minute.

Jordan glances down at his phone, and then tilts his head in confusion when he sees Noah calling him. Answering, he asks, "Sheriff? Did something happen?" "No, nothing yet. We're still good, as far as hands go. But, if you wouldn't mind, I have a favor to ask of you." "Of course, Sheriff. Whatever you need." "Well, I need you to talk to Nixie."

Blinking a bit in surprise, Jordan asks, "Why is she at the school? Is she alright?" "She's fine, and so is Lydia. But Scott, Stiles, Kira, and Malia are all still inside the school while this is going on." "Ah. Nixie being there makes sense then." Chuckling, Noah says, "Yeah. Anyways… Nixie's done all she can to help at this point and now all she can do is wait."

Jordan can picture her pacing back and forth, as though she were trapped with no way out. Then he asks, "So… what can I do?" "I'm not really sure. I just know she trusts you, and you seem to have a better idea of what to say to her half the time, than any of the rest of us. Just try to keep her talking to you instead of trying to stampede past the authorities and into the school."

Jordan nods, "Sure. Um… I don't have her number or anything though. Unless you're giving her your phone." "No, I need to keep mine on me. Just sit tight, I'll call you back in five seconds." Hanging up, Noah walks over to where Lydia is sitting. They both watch Nixie for a moment, and then Lydia comments, "She hates it when she can't do anything." "I know. Where's her phone right now?"

Lydia stands up and pauses Nixie in her pacing for a moment, long enough to pull her phone from her jacket pocket. Nixie doesn't really question it. Maybe Lydia wanted to make a call and wanted to make sure they answered immediately. People usually did that when Nixie called… unless something was preventing them from doing so.

Handing it to Noah, she watches him punch in a number that he reads from his own phone. It barely even rings once, and Jordan answers, "Sheriff?" "Yeah. This is her phone. Here, I'm handing it over to her."

Coming up to Nixie, putting the phone in her hand, he looks to her confused expression and says, "Come here." He sits her down in the spare chair and says, "Now, talk to him. Calm down. And for the love of God, quit pacing. You antsy, is making me antsy, and I'm too old for that right now."

Nixie gives him a look and says, "You are not old. You're in your prime." But she pauses in surprise when Jordan's voice says over her phone, "Oh, I wouldn't be too sure about that. He's getting on up there."

There's a moment of silence, and then Jordan chuckles when he hears Nixie say, "Noah, you should know that your best deputy just insulted you." Noah just grins, "If it makes you relax even a little bit, I'm okay with that right now."

As he walks away, Nixie smiles a bit and then asks into the phone, "So, why'd Noah call you? And why'd he use my phone?" "He called me so I could talk to you. And he needs to keep his phone." "Why'd he call you to talk to me?" "Are you saying you don't enjoy having a conversation with me?"

He grins when she laughs and says, "No, that's not what I'm saying." Gently, he replies, "Good. As for why I'm talking to you; I'm pretty sure it has something to do with the trench you were walking into the ground." "Oh, don't be ridiculous. It's not even a foot deep yet."

Chuckling, Jordan asks, "How is everything?" Nixie sighs, "I don't know. And if it takes much longer, I'm going to hurt somebody." "FYI, that's also why I'm talking to you. Trying to prevent bloodshed." "Nice try, but if I decide I'm gonna punch somebody in the face, I can still do that and talk to you at the same time." "Hmm… you make a sound point."

Lydia smirks over at Nixie, watching her laugh as she talks to Jordan on the phone. Whether Noah was aware or not, this just helped to further prove what Lydia kept saying. Because if it were anybody else on the phone, Nixie would most certainly still be pacing while she was talking. But, it was Jordan; and Nixie was sitting down and relaxing for a moment. Granted, she was still very worried… but the odds of her charging into the school dropped drastically.

After a moment of silence, Jordan asks, "Are you alright?" There's a long sigh on the other end of the phone before Nixie responds to him. "I mean… I guess I am. As good as I can be, I suppose. I've done all I can. Which… really wasn't much except relay some messages from one person to another." She sighs again and adds, "It really sucks to not be a person that can just go in there and do some things myself." Jordan nods in understanding, but says, "For what it's worth, I'm glad you're not able to go in there."

Another long pause, and then Jordan hears Nixie say, "You need to elaborate on that a little bit more. Because I hate this. And I hate it enough that, if you like it, I'm going to come find you after this is over, and knock all your teeth out." "Well, that would be quite a shame. I'm rather fond of my teeth."

When she laughs a little, Jordan relaxes and smiles at the sound. Then he says, "But… to explain. I just mean that… well, I'm glad you can't go in, because then you might get infected by whatever is in there. And after all I've seen you do so far, losing you to something as trivial as smallpox… well, it's not only absurd, but it would suck, immensely."

Nixie smiles over the phone, and then glances at the school, where her friends are still trapped. Jordan hears the shaky breath she lets out before she says, "I can't… I can't lose them, Jordan." "You won't." Blinking in surprise, Nixie says, "You don't know that." "Maybe. I have a pretty good feeling though." "And why is that?" "Because they have you. And they know it would break your heart to lose them. Believe me, they're hanging in there, and they're doing it for you. They'll make it, Nix. I promise."

Hearing her nickname come from his lips has a sense of completeness rushing through Nixie that makes her feel like mush. But, in a good way. In an exceptionally good way. Softly, she says, "Thanks, Jordan." "Anytime, Nixie."

Another moment of silence, and then Nixie asks, "Now what?" "Well, as far as topics go, I have a question, if you don't mind?" "Fire away." He pauses, but then asks, "Why Haven? I mean… you said you had to change your last name after… well, after your mom was sent to Eichen. So… why Haven?"

Leaning her head back, Nixie says, "Because my mom was my safe haven. She always made me feel safe, when she was herself. And when she had to go… I don't know. I wanted to be that. I couldn't have her anymore… but I could try to be that for other people. And in a way… I guess I figured it would sort of keep her with me… even if she really wasn't. And I figured naming myself 'Haven', was as good a place to start as any."

Lydia puts a hand on her shoulder, and Nixie looks over to find her smiling gently. "You are a safe haven, Nixie. No one feels safer, than when they're with you." Nixie smiles back, and then laughs when Jordan says, "So I'd call that a success. Now, in the interest of keeping the conversation going… have you had any other papers to write lately?" "Oh, Jordan. There is always a paper to write. Whether it's been written well or not? Now that is the real question."

It still takes another thirty minutes before the school is deemed habitable again. When Nixie starts seeing some people coming out, she says, "Jordan, they're bringing them out. I have to…" But before she can finish, he says in understanding, "Call me back and let me know they're okay." "Alright. Bye, Jordan."

Hanging up, she waits about ten seconds to see if any of her people are coming out… and then huffs and says, "I'm going in." Lydia simply grabs hold to the back of her jacket, a sign that so long as Nixie cleared the way, Lydia was going to stick right behind her.

When they get inside, the first person they find is Natalie, and Lydia rushes after her mom. Nixie spins around in a circle briefly, before tilting her head and trying to pinpoint the sounds that are most likely her friends. Finding what she thinks is them, down a more deserted hall, she takes off that way.

Sighing in relief when she sees Malia first, Nixie says, "Thank God. I've been freaking the hell out. Are you…" Malia glances down at her, and the hard set in her eyes slips a little bit. Looking back to the others, Malia then says to Nixie, "Kira says you didn't know. That you're the only one who didn't know." Frowning deeply, Nixie asks, "Know about what? What don't I know? Son of a bitch, what aren't they telling me now?!"

Malia stares at her hard for a moment more, and then comes forward and wraps her up in a hug. Nixie squeezes her back, and then Malia pulls back and says, "I'll text you later." "Okay. But…" "They'll tell you." And with that, Malia walks off without another word.

Making her way over to the others, Nixie is about to demand to know what Malia was talking about. But then she sees the blood still staining Stiles' shirt, and some smudges still on his face. Eyes widening in horror, she sprints the rest of the way to him. Stiles, for his part, offers no argument. He just opens up his arm and braces for her, actually having to take a couple steps back to keep from falling when she gets to him. Her arms wrap around and squeeze him so tight, he knows he'll have bruises. But he doesn't care. He just hugs her back and assures her, "It's not mine. I swear."

She only relaxes a little it, and then sighs shakily against him before saying, "Never again. None of you ever do this to me, ever again. Understand?" They all nod to her, and then Nixie looks up when Rafe approaches them. He'd waited a moment, giving Nixie time to reassure herself that Stiles was fine.

He was about to ask Stiles if he could give a statement to the FBI, when Stiles explains to Nixie briefly, "It was the killer's blood. He was about to kill me. But… Rafe stopped him. He saved my life." And Rafe would've played it off as nothing more than his job… except Nixie then switched over and wrapped him in a hug just as tight.

Smoothing a hand down her back, trying to ease her further, he then says to Stiles, "They can wait a while, if you need more time. But they will need your statement before you leave." "Sure thing." Rafe pats Nixie on the back one last time, and then gently pulls away so he can talk to the CDC, and hand over his gun to Noah since it had been fired and had to be taken into custody for the remainder of the day.

As soon as he's beyond hearing range, Nixie spins back to her friends and asks, "So… you're all okay?" They all nod, and then duck their heads when she demands, "Then someone had better tell me what the hell Malia was talking about before she left."

It takes them all a bit, more because they're ashamed than anything else. But they do reveal to her the secret they'd kept from Malia… and consequently, from Nixie as well. The fact that Malia Tate was actually the daughter of Peter Hale.

Nixie stares at all of them for a moment, and then says, "If… If I weren't so happy that all of you are still alive and fine right now; I would most definitely be slapping all of you upside the head. Because this is definitely not the sort of thing to keep to yourself." They all nod in response, and then Nixie puts a hand on Stiles' shoulder. Gentler now, she says, "We'll work it out, Stiles. She just needs time. Plus, she still likes me. So I'll work with her a bit. Forgiveness is probably a strange concept for her, but we'll work it out."

Stiles smiles his appreciation, and then they look over as Lydia and Natalie come to join them. Nixie smiles at them, and then sighs and says, "So… I propose that the rest of the evening be spent in complete and total relaxation. You three definitely need some time to recuperate. I'm thinking pizza, a movie, and sleep. Lots of sleep. Who's in?"

They all smile at her, and then Nixie beams when Natalie says, "I'll buy the pizza." Throwing her hands up in victory, Nixie exclaims, "Natalie's on board! Yes! Alright, let's get out of here. Everyone. On the double. Let's move. And for the love of Pete, quit laughing at me. You can laugh after we get home. Geez.

* * *

Jordan was fixing himself a light dinner when his phone rang. Still stirring the meat he had in a pan, he swipes to answer it and says, "Parrish."

On the other end, Nixie smiles before answering, "I feel like I'm supposed to give you some code number for the next bad thing that's happening. You know? Sending you off on an assignment or something? 'Go and save the kitten from the tree, Parrish.'"

Grinning, Jordan says, "Well, it'd have to be a pretty adorable kitten. That's not a part of my usual job description." "Come on now, Jordan. All kittens are adorable." She smiles when he laughs, and then he asks, "It's been a while. How is everyone?" "Good. Everyone is good. Alive, which is kind of the main thing right now. So… yeah, we're good."

There's a pause, and then Nixie smiles again when Jordan says, "But something is still bothering you. What's wrong, Nixie?" She takes a breath, and then lets it out slow before answering. "I… almost lost them. Scott, Kira, and Malia were infected with whatever the virus was. And I almost lost them." Jordan pauses, and then asks, "But you didn't almost lose Stiles?"

Nixie pauses, and then concedes, "Not… to the virus. He… um…" Nodding to himself, Jordan says, "I'm going to mark this particular detail up with the rest of the ones I'm not really supposed to know about." Blinking in surprise, Nixie asks, "You have a list?" "Oh yes. It's a mile long. If you guys ever feel like cluing me in; I'll show it to you."

Another pause, and then Jordan says, "Nix… it was a joke." "Oh. Um…" "Nixie, come on. I know there are things you guys aren't telling me… or anyone else for that matter. If I were mad about it… really mad about any of it… you wouldn't have to stand there and wonder about it. You'd know."

She smiles again, and then says, "Thanks." "Anytime. So… Stiles wasn't in danger from the virus. But… he was in danger?" Nodding, Nixie says, "Yeah. He… the bastard behind all this nearly shot Stiles in the head with a gun that had a silencer on the end."

Jordan blinks at that, and then says, "That… sounds professional. Very professional. Why… why was he trying to kill Stiles? Wait… is Stiles on the list too?" "Oh! No, Stiles is definitely not on the list. But um… he… he knew where Scott was… and Scott is… well, he's on the list." Tilting his head, Jordan says, "I didn't see his name." Nixie nods, "He… isn't on the sheet we showed you. He's on another one. One of the other thirds."

The divide between what Jordan was allowed to ask about, and what Nixie clearly wouldn't tell him, was becoming more blurred by the second. Just a few months ago, he's quite certain she never would've revealed to him that Scott was on the list at all. He was getting closer. Much closer.

But… the divide was still there. And he felt it surface again when Nixie says, after another long pause, "I'm sorry, Jordan. I can't… I…" Gently, he says, "Nixie, please don't worry about it so much. Focus on the good. Stiles is alright?" "Yeah. Rafe killed the son of a bitch before he could shoot Stiles." "Good." Leaning against the porch railing of Lydia's house, Nixie says, "I just… I wanted to let you know that we're all fine. And to thank you. Again. For talking to me, and…"

She thinks about it for a moment, and then says, "Well, there's honestly an incredibly long list of my own that exists. Of things you should be thanked for. Your patience with… well, all of this? Yeah, that's definitely at the top." Jordan chuckles softly and says, "As it should be. I don't spend a great deal of patience on just anybody, you know."

Nixie smiles, and then says softly, but no less earnestly, "Thank you, Jordan." "Anytime, Nixie." Smile widening, she says, "You always say that. Do you know that?" "I do." "Why?" A pause, and then he says, "Because I mean it, Nixie. I always mean it."

God; it was not possible for the man to become anymore perfect… and yet he continued to do so. Blushing a bit at her own thought, Nixie then says, "I have to go now. Everyone's inside and we're all trying to recover. But um… I'll see you later, sometime." "Alright, Nixie. Please get some rest. Goodnight." "Goodnight, Jordan."

After hanging up, Nixie leans forward, resting her arms on the railing of the porch. And though she hadn't known he was there, she doesn't jump in surprise when Scott comes up beside her after a moment. Leaning against the railing with her, he comments, "You trust him." "Yeah. I thought we established that." "We did. But you really trust him." "Meaning?" "Meaning I know you, Nixie. And if it were anybody else, you never would've talked to him or explained to him as much as you did just now. Not without asking me and the others first."

Looking over at her, he says, "If things keep escalating like they have been… we may have no choice but to bring him in. Which, I know, is sort of mixed blessing for you."

And yes, it most certainly was. Having Jordan in the know, would be wonderful. She could talk freely around him, maybe help him figure out what he was. But if he was in the know, then he was in even more danger than he already was on a regular basis.

The situation was a lose-lose in Nixie's opinion. No matter which way you turned it. She nods to Scott in understanding anyway, though he can tell she's not necessarily comforted by that thought. Coming closer, he presses a kiss to the side of her head and says, "We'll keep him safe. We'll keep all of them safe. I promise."

She nods to that as well, but then groans when Scott changes the subject to ask, "Now… what was this other secret you wanted to tell us about?" Looking up at him, she says, "Scott… I promise. Tomorrow. I will tell all of you, I swear. But not today. Not after everything that happened today. We've dealt with enough for now."

Scott watches her carefully for a moment, and then says, "Alright. But tomorrow." "I promise." "Good. Now, come back inside. Lydia managed to find a Clint Eastwood movie on the shelf." "Well, in that case, what in the world are we still doing out here. Let's go!"

* * *

This is not the secret that Lydia had thought Nixie was going to tell everyone. She'd thought Nixie was going to talk about her scars, and finally reveal all of them to everyone, including her.

But that would have to wait for another day still. Because currently, they're standing in the middle of the woods, down a long and winding, almost non-existent trail. And in front of them, is a rickety old shack that, in her opinion, is not suitable for any kind of life to be living in.

And yet, as Nixie shows them in, she says, "So… I don't really know if you'd call it home sweet home. But… well, ta da!"

Most are speechless. Even Stiles, for a moment, is speechless. Then he finally manages to ask, "You… you've been staying here? Living here? But… the apartment? What about…" Nixie holds up a hand to stop what might've been a bombardment of questions, and then asks, "First of all, we're all clear on the fact that I was lying about my mom, right? She's always been in Eichen. Everyone got that?"

Everyone nods, so Nixie continues, "So… and I am not a lawyer, so I don't know how it was worked out. But in the agreement that was made, a portion of the money that insurance provides for my mom… it was put towards my living expense in the apartment. It went to the landlord, Marcus. The deal was he's supposed to be my guardian, and that way I get to stay here, in Beacon Hills. Why mom wanted me to stay when she wouldn't even allow me to visit her, is beyond me. But anyways…"

Walking over to her bag shoving some of her stuff back in it, she goes on. "There were some changes recently in the insurance coverages. How much she gets and where it goes. The money for the rent of the apartment was one of the things that got pulled. And Marcus… he was only ever in it for the money that got sent to him. As soon as that quit, I had to leave. I couldn't afford to pay him."

Nixie motions towards the shack as a whole and says, "I've known about this place for a while. I found it back when I was scouring the woods, trying to pinpoint the best starting place for the hunt to find Malia." Stiles pulls his attention from her investigative walls, which are almost identical to his boards back home. Snapping his gaze to her, he asks, "And you came here, instead of coming to any of us?!"

She gives him a look that asks for his patience, and then she says, "Yes. And before you berate me any further, I actually put a lot of thought into that before I made my decision. Scott's dad is now in the spare room at their house. I can't stay there. And you, Stiles, have Noah for a dad. The sheriff of Beacon Hills. And if he even so much as began to wonder why I was staying around more than usual, he'd figure out I'm homeless, and maybe think it was his duty to put me into the system. And that, is definitely not okay. They'd try to take me away from you guys, and I am not letting someone in a suit drag me away from here."

Looking to Lydia, Nixie says gently, "And you and your mom have enough financial trouble, without having to add me to the list." Between all three of them, Nixie says, "I know I'd be more than welcome. I get that. But I am not going to impose myself onto you guys, given all our current circumstances."

Kira takes a meek step forward, and then asks, "And… what about me? I mean… I would…" Nixie smiles gently, "I know you would too, Kira. You're not the reason I'm not going to your house." "Then what? What is…" "Your parents."

A pause, and then Nixie says, "I like them now. I promise. But… I don't know that they really consider me a friend. Chris is the only other adult who's really seen me get that angry at him, the same way I did with your parents. I've been frustrated with Melissa and Noah before… but not angry, like I was at Noshiko and Ken."

Shrugging, Nixie adds, "And I didn't want to risk that either of them would try to report me to the system either. So… I came here." For a long moment, all is quiet. Then Kira straightens up and says, "You can't stay here anymore. It's unacceptable. We're a pack, and we take care of each other."

Scott smiles and nods in agreement with her. And as he grabs one of her bags from the floor, Kira then adds, "We can talk to my mom. I know you don't know what they think right now, but I do. And she still feels incredibly bad about what she put all of us through. You, in particular, Nixie. She wants to make it up to you. And if we have to, we can make this the way she does that."

Raising an eyebrow, Nixie asks, "And your dad?" "Mom will keep it a secret for us. Dad doesn't have to know. As long as mom tells him not to worry about it, he'll get on board. But… just to be safe, we should probably hurry and get your stuff to the house. He'll be easier to convince if we've already moved you in."

Stiles grabs her other bag from the floor, and Lydia grabs the blanket that had been laying there for Nixie to sleep on. Coming up to her, Lydia says, "I know you. And I know you just… you don't want to be a burden on us. But… let us help you now. Okay?" Nixie stares back at her for a moment, and then nods before saying softly, "Okay." "Good. Now, come on."

Lydia hops on the back of Nixie's bike with her, and before they head down the road, Lydia gently presses against where she knows Nixie's worst scar is. Nixie glances back at her; sees the silent question in Lydia's eyes. She wants to know when Nixie is going to tell the others about her scars.

Nixie just smiles a bit, and then says, "Baby steps, Lydia. Baby steps."

* * *

Noshiko was in the living room when they all piled inside. Kira was at the front, looking both determined, and also a little fearful, at the same time. Noshiko looks around at all of them, and then simply says, "No." Frowning, Kira says, "We haven't even asked you anything yet." "I know. But when all of you come at the adults in a large group, the request usually ends up being something dangerous and terrible. So, no."

Kira's frown deepens so much that Noshiko wishes she could take it back. She'd meant it more as a joke than a real answer to whatever it was they wanted. But it was apparently much more serious than she'd realized. So much so that, instead of continuing to ask, Kira wheels around and is about to usher everyone back out of the house. They would find somewhere else for Nixie to stay, and she wouldn't even speak to her parents again for the remainder of the month. That's how mad she was right now.

But before she can get them out, Nixie puts a hand on her shoulder and says, "Take it easy." "But…" "Kira, come on. We look like we're about to ambush her or something. Her assumed conclusion is not exactly that far of a jump. Plus… she's not exactly wrong. Not entirely, anyway. We are about to ask her to do something that is, technically, illegal."

Looking around at all of them again, Noshiko asks, "What is it that you all need?" Kira turns back towards her, and then begins rambling, as she tends to do. She stumbles over her words, trying to explain the situation; trying to find the best way to put it.

Nixie puts her hand on Kira's shoulder again. Smiling gently, she says, "Thanks for trying to paint me in a brighter light. But I'm a sad story at the moment, so how about we stick with the shades of gray." Then she looks to Noshiko. "What Kira is trying to say, without making me look like I'm a hobo, is that I'm homeless. And I have been for the past… oh, maybe three or four months."

Noshiko's eyes widen, and she opens her mouth to ask a question. But Lydia beats her to it by blurting out, "Four months?!" Turning to look at her friends, Nixie says, "Yeah. Oh, did I forget to mention that part? My bad." Stiles runs a hand over his face and says, "Four months. Nixie… seriously?! Four months?!" "Hey, take a chill pill. I'm an incredibly resourceful individual."

The argument would've continued, except Noshiko cut them off and says, "So… she needs a place to stay." Kira nods, and then adds, "A place where no one is going to turn her over to the foster-care system. We're not going to lose her."

Noshiko looks over at Nixie, who had averted her eyes to the ground. Noshiko was aware, maybe even more than Kira, that she had a lot of making up to do with Nixie. She had kept too many secrets from them. She'd nearly killed Stiles. And though she may not have done it directly, she did have her own role in the death of Alison Argent.

The young woman could've called it in as a favor of Noshiko, but Nixie hadn't. She had moved out on her own. Where that had been, Noshiko has no idea. But… if this could even become a start to making amends for what she'd done…

Nixie's eyes snap up in surprise when Noshiko, without any sort of argument, says, "Of course she can stay." Turning to Kira, she adds, "And if her things are already put away, your father will be more easily convinced." The smile that lights Kira's face practically glows, and she grabs one of Nixie's bags and shouts, "Come on! Let's go!"

As she sprints away, Nixie looks to Noshiko again. Nodding her head, she says softly, "Thank you." Noshiko nods, and then steps forward. Cupping Nixie's face gently in her hands, she says, "You should not have ever been alone with this burden. I am sorry that you felt you could not come to us sooner. I promise, I will do everything I can, to make it easier for you, from here on out."

It takes Nixie a moment before she thinks she can answer without tearing up. Then she nods and says, "Thanks." "Of course, dear. Besides, we were already moving here permanently so that Kira would not be separated from her pack. It would seem rather unfitting, if we allowed you to be sent away after all that."

Nixie nods, and then turns in surprise to see both Lydia and Kira tugging at her to hurry up and come on. Huffing, Nixie says, "Geez, you'd think we could at least properly thank the woman for taking me in off the street. God bless her soul, or something. I mean, come on people." Noshiko just laughs, and follows along with the others to help Nixie settle in. It wasn't much to put away, but they made the spare room belong to Nixie, so it was a good start.

By the time Ken came home from the teacher's meeting he'd had, the others have left, and it's just Nixie, Noshiko, and Kira left in the house. Coming back to the spare room where he hears them, he finds Nixie laying on the bed on her stomach. Noshiko is sitting at the end, and they are playing the game of 'Go', which Nixie had agreed to learn as a sort of 'payment' for being allowed to stay.

Smiling, Ken asks, "What seems to be going on here?" Kira, who had been sitting at Nixie's side, watching the game, scrambles up to her feet in a frenzy. Nixie quickly grips the board to save the game. Then she sighs and says, "Good. That would've been tragically disappointing at this point. I might be mistaken… but I think I'm currently winning."

She looks up to Noshiko for confirmation, and the woman nods her answer. Then Noshiko adds, "But remember. Things can always change quickly, in the game of 'Go'." Nixie looks at her again, and then looks to Kira and says, "I don't like how she said that. It's like I have a piece of cake right in front of me, but she's threatening to swipe it and eat it first. And it's a good piece of cake too. We're talking triple chocolate with icing, sprinkles, and whip cream."

Ken chuckles at her analogy, but as Kira begins talking and explaining the situation, he grows more serious. He glances to Noshiko for a moment, almost not believing that she'd agreed to this, without even talking to him first. But then he sees the look on his wife's face. And in her eyes, was the hope for redemption.

Finally, he sighs and says, "And I suppose you've already moved everything of hers in here. Am I right?" Kira nods, and then Ken looks around a bit more. Settling on the game of 'Go', he says, "Fine. But if you get to teach her how to play that game, then I get to teach her how to cook sometimes."

Nixie just grins and says, "Ironically enough, the cooking classes are the ones I can never fit into my schedule. I think this sounds great." Ken chuckles, and then comes in to join them and watch the game. Kira eagerly takes her seat again and says, "This is awesome. Now, let's continue. I want to see if you can actually beat my mom on only the second try."

And all three of them laugh when Nixie scoffs and says, "Yeah, that's definitely not going to happen. A seventeen year old facing off against a nine-hundred year old kitsune? Let's be real. I was doomed before I even agreed to learn how to play."

And laying in bed later that night, warm and comfortable and at ease for once, Nixie can't help but realize that this feels more like home than her vacant old apartment ever had.

* * *

Chapter 7! Woohoo! I'm trying to post this story as fast as I can, since I had to take the previous one down. So Chapter 8 should follow soon after. Fingers crossed for the internet to continue going strong. :)


	9. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: "I do not own Teen Wolf. The show, the characters, and any quotes from the show belong to Jeff Davis and his amazing team of writers. I only own Nixie, and anything I make her do or say."

* * *

Chapter 8: Episode 4x8

Kira looks to Stiles across the table and asks, "Is three enough?" He nods, "Depends on how many cameras the hospital has. But I think so."

Liam looks to Scott and asks, "Are we really doing this?" Scott affirms, "We're doing it. Tonight." "But… isn't it kind of dangerous?" Stiles looks up and says, "Yeah, it's incredibly dangerous. And borderline idiotic."

Looking down at the three laptops before them, Liam asks, "And… we're not telling Nixie?" Stiles, Scott, and Kira all look at each other, and then Scott says, "She'd never agree to it. She'd consider it too much of a risk. And it might be our only shot at figuring out who the Benefactor is. So no… we're not telling her." And Stiles adds, "Hence the 'borderline idiotic' part."

Sighing, Liam asks, "Have you guys done something like this before?" Stiles asks, "Something dangerous? Or something idiotic?" And then Kira answers for him, "I think it's a yes to both." Liam looks uncertain, so Scott tells him, "You don't have to be part of this, if you don't want to."

He looks up and immediately replies, "I'm not scared." Stiles looks at him and asks, "Of the plan? Or of Nixie?" "The plan." Smiling, Stiles says, "Good. Then you're only borderline idiotic. Like the rest of us." And as he pats Liam on the shoulder, Liam grins at the sentiment that Stiles somehow manages to put behind those words.

Then Stiles turns to Scott and says, "If we do this though, we don't know what's coming for us. And if something truly terrifying starts popping up on the monitors, I'm calling Nixie immediately. You know that, right?" Scott nods, but then Kira asks, "How do we even know something's definitely coming?" Scott answers, "Because the tape from Garrett's bag said 'visual confirmation required'." Stiles adds, "And Simon said the same thing. Right before McCall shot him in the head. He said he couldn't get paid by the Benefactor, until he had proof that you guys were dead."

Nodding, Scott says, "So, the idea is, what if you kill someone on the dead pool, but you can't send the proof?" Kira answers, "You don't get paid." Then Liam asks, "How does that get us any closer to the Benefactor?"

Scott replies, "He still needs to know if the target is really dead." And Stiles adds, with a hint of worry in his voice, "Especially if it's someone high on the list." They all look to Scott at that, but in Scott's own head, he can't help seeing Nixie's name. Nixie's name was on the list. And she was worth the exact same amount that he was. It's why they had to do something about it, and sooner rather than later. Because if enough people came after Nixie for the money… well, there was only so much she could fight off if she was on her own.

Liam then says "So, if he wants visual confirmation…" Scott nods, "He's going to have to come get it himself."

As they all look around at each other, they know that this plan is crazy. It's dangerous and crazy. But, Scott comforts himself with the thought that, even if they didn't get anything out of this… he wouldn't actually be dying.

Of course, if Nixie ends up finding out what they're attempting to pull off without her… she just might slap him in the back of the head hard enough to kill him.

* * *

"You did what?!"

Nixie understood better now why Lydia had been keeping her occupied all day long. Sure, Lydia genuinely wanted to better understand her powers, how to use them, and how to help save her friends. But still… Nixie hadn't understood what they were doing really.

And now she did. Lydia was the distraction to keep Nixie from wondering what everyone else was doing. And what everyone else was doing… was completely insane.

As Nixie prepares to yell into the phone again, Natalie comes out of her hiding spot, startled by the sudden anger she saw on Nixie's face. Nixie stares at her for a moment, and then calms down enough to say, "Hi Natalie." Lydia spins around to look at them, and then asks, "Mom! What are you doing here?" Natalie simply asks in return, "What are you doing here?"

Then she looks at Nixie and asks, "And who are you yelling at?" Nixie points to the phone and says, "Stiles." And that's apparently all the answer that Natalie needs, because she turns her attention back to her daughter. Nixie glances at Lydia, who nods that she can handle her mom. Then Nixie steps outside the dock house and asks Stiles again, "You did what?" Sighing, Stiles answers, "We stopped Scott's heart. Mostly. He's still alive, but clinically speaking, he appears dead. And… you know… he looks very dead. But he's not dead! Very not dead!"

Pinching the bridge of her nose, trying to control her own voice, Nixie asks, "What is the idea here, exactly? Is his heart still beating?" "Yes. Yes, absolutely. Just… very slowly. Maybe six beats per minute. Or… maybe less. But in any case, yes, it's still beating. And the idea is to catch the Benefactor when he comes to get visual confirmation for himself."

Nixie nods, "And how long can Scott stay like that?" "Forty-five minutes." "And after that?" "Um… well, that's…" "Stiles, I am already going to slap both of you in the head the next time I see you. If you don't want a concussion, you had better damn well answer me." He pauses for a moment, and then says, "He dies after forty-five minutes. But you don't have to worry! Kira's on hand, and we will wake him up on time."

Nixie is quiet for so long, that Stiles seriously worries that he somehow broke her. Then she finally says, "Stiles… you're a damn idiot. Because there is definitely cause to worry here. In fact, there is so much to worry about in this stupid, idiotic, suicidal plan… that I'm giving it it's very own section on the list of things we will forever need to worry about. It's in it's own category of worry, altogether."

Stiles sighs and says, "Well… can I at least try to defend myself a little bit?" "You can try." "So… Scott didn't want to involve you at all. Like… he didn't even want to leave calling you as an option. But I refused on that point, because hey, if we need help to arrive here suddenly, you're the only one who can get here fast enough. Sure, you'll also break the sound barrier to do it… but I'm okay with that today. So… yeah."

Nixie huffs and says, "Fine. I'll hit Scott harder than I hit you." "I'll take what I can get." Then Nixie hears Liam over the phone saying, "Guys. Is it supposed to look like that?" Stiles glances at the screen that has just gone dark and says, "No. No it is not." Kira asks, "Where is that?" "It's on the roof. Someone's gonna have to go check it out."

Then Kira says, "I'll go." Stiles holds the phone away from his ear as Nixie shouts, "Hey! Hold up a minute! What are you guys even talking about?" Stiles shrugs at Kira's shocked expression. Because Nixie wasn't on speaker phone, but she'd still heard Kira and Liam perfectly over the line. Stiles briefly explains that one of the cameras is deactivated, so Kira is going to go check it.

Stiles adds though, "Whoa, Kira. Think a minute. This might not just be a malfunction." Kira simply holds up her katana in reply, "That's why I'm bringing this." And as she heads out, Liam says, "I'm coming with you." Nixie pinches the bridge of her nose again, but then snaps her attention back up when Stiles says, "Okay. And you're both coming right back. Immediately!"

Huffing, he says, "Kids." He'd almost forgotten that Nixie was still on the phone, until she spoke to him again. "Seriously, Stiles? Kira is the same age as us. Liam is only a couple of years younger." "Well, sure, if you're judging it by age." "What are you judging it by?" "Years of experience with supernatural." "Stiles, you've had two and a half. Same as the rest of us. You're practically an infant." "Still older than them though!"

Sighing, Nixie says, "Give me a second." Then she turns to see Lydia and her mom. Waving to get her attention, she then points to her phone and then to her bike to explain that she needs to leave. Lydia gives her a thumb's up, letting her know that she'll be alright here.

Hopping on the bike, Nixie says, "Alright. I'm on my way." "Aren't you with Lydia?" "I was. Natalie is with her now though. And considering Lydia isn't the one in a self-induced coma, or in danger of meeting the Benefactor tonight, I am coming to you." Stiles sighs, "Fine. But… please hold off on the slapping and any yelling until after we wake Scott back up?" "Fine. Though you had best damn well be braced." "Love you too, Nix."

* * *

Jordan is sitting in a cruiser on the other side of town. He was out on patrol tonight, meant to catch any speeding drivers that came down this straight stretch of road. It was a common area for short street races, and for the occasional joyrider to push it past one-hundred miles per hour.

It was honestly turning out to be a rather dull night, when his the radio in the car crackled to life. Haigh's voice on the line said, "Hey everybody. Little Miss Haven is back at it again. She just pushed ninety going around a curve. I swear, if she were tilted any further over, she would've been skidding up the road."

Another voice; Cordova, if Jordan is correct, says, "Well, it's been a couple of weeks. It's about time it happened again." Haigh chuckles and asks, "Think I should go after her? Give her a ticket?" "No way, man. Sheriff's under enough stress as it is. Besides, you know he's just gonna let her off the hook. Always does."

Then another officer chimes in, "And that's if you can even catch up to her at this point."

Jordan listens to the conversation a moment more, and then picks up his mike and asks, "Which way was she headed?" Silence meets him for a moment, but then Haigh says, "Well, welcome to the party, Parrish. She was heading down the road into town." Then a fourth voice says, "Probably heading to the hospital. I've got reports that the power was somehow cut there. Aside from that, nothing interesting is happening in that direction."

Jordan thinks about it for one more minute, and then cranks the engine and starts speeding his way back into town. Because if Nixie was speeding again… well, it definitely couldn't be good.

* * *

Even with as fast as she was going, when Nixie got to the hospital, the fight on the roof was already underway. A berserker was up there, and Liam and Kira were both struggling to fight him off. Sprinting up the many flights of stairs to the top, she bursts through the door up there and rams herself into the back of the berserker. It was more the surprise than anything else, she knows that. But she did manage to knock him off balance, which allowed Kira to recover her sword and prepare to fight again.

Lowering two of her own daggers down, Nixie asks, "What's the timeframe for Scott?" Kira glances at her watch and says, "Fifteen minutes." "Right. Well… let's see if we can't make this a short fight then, shall we?"

But it's the same as before. These berserkers were incredibly strong, and huge. They were fending him off and holding their own… but that's all they were doing.

As Kira gets thrown to the ground again, Nixie runs up behind the creature and slices her daggers into his back, one for each shoulder blade. She managed to slip between the bone-armor he was wearing and penetrate the skin. Something he definitely hadn't expected, given the pained roar that he let out.

It still didn't matter. He backed himself up at a rapid pace and slammed Nixie into the concrete wall behind her. Groaning, she pulls her daggers out of him and slides to the ground. Then she rolls out of his way as he slams himself back into the wall again, apparently in an attempt to crush her.

The cracks and indentation that appear in the wall when he stands back up straight… well, it makes Nixie believe that he might've actually succeeded if she hadn't moved. Kira leaps at him again, Liam right behind her, and as Nixie joins, they continue to try and at least tire the monstrous thing out.

Kira gets knocked to the side, and as Liam goes down again, the berserker rears back it's arm, aiming to bring down his claw and slice into Liam's neck from the looks of it. And Liam struggles to get up, but can't do it just yet.

Hands land on his raised shoulder and back, and he glances up to see Nixie flipping over his body. Coming down on his other side, Nixie guards him, using her body as a shield to cover him.

The berserker's claw still comes down, and it takes everything Nixie has to not scream from the pain. But she manages it. As it digs a gash diagonally from her right shoulder blade, down to her left side, she reminds herself that Peter had still done worse. It ends just above her hip on her backside, and then the claw is pulled back and the berserker roars again.

Shifting her shoulders, making sure her jacket shifts to cover the blood and the gash, she pulls at Liam's shoulder and says, "Get up! Let's go!" But as she turns to face him again, the berserker takes a step back, and finally walks off and away from them. Kira and Nixie look at each other, wondering what happened. Nixie shrugs and says, "Kate controls them. She must've decided that whatever she was trying to do, wasn't worth it."

Nixie then turns to look at Liam. Putting a hand on his shoulder, her daggers sliding back into their hiding spots, she asks, "You alright?" He nods, though everything about him seems shakier now. He was not fine. Not even close right now.

But Scott was still in danger of actually dying, so they had to move fast. Squeezing Liam's shoulder, she reminds him, "Remember. If you're not fine after this, I'm only ever a phone call away. Got it?" He nods, and then they all rush to hurry back inside.

They meet Chris and Stiles halfway to the morgue. Smiling at Chris, Nixie asks, "What the hell was your demented sister up to?" Chris gives her a small smile in return and says, "I'm not sure. But in any case, I convinced her to leave. Now, someone needs to go check on Melissa and Noshiko." Nixie nods and says, "Get Kira to Scott. Liam and I will check on them."

Hurrying in the other direction now, towards the front, Nixie rounds a corner as fast as she can. And Liam nearly runs into her from how quickly she stopped after that. Looking around her, he sees what she sees. Noshiko is in the floor, lying in Melissa's arms, trying to hold pressure over a deep wound on her stomach.

Nixie stares a moment longer, and then turns to Liam and says, "Get Kira. Go tell her. Now!" He sprints away to find her again, and Nixie takes off up the hall. Shifting her jacket again, making sure Melissa won't see her wound right now, Nixie bends down and asks, "What can I do?" "I need bandages. And a doctor, if you can find one that hasn't run off." "On it."

She finds the supply closet fast enough, and fills a plastic bin with bandages and anything else she sees that might be useful. Then she takes off back up the hall, meeting Dr. Dunbar along the way. Grabbing his arm, she says, "Come on! Someone's hurt!" And to his credit, he wasn't one of the ones that ran away. He follows her dutifully and when they get to Noshiko, he bends down to hurriedly help Melissa start taking care of the wound.

When Kira arrives, for a moment she's too stunned at the sight of her bleeding and fainting mother to do anything. Nixie grips her elbow and says, "Call your dad. Tell him what happened. She is going to be fine, Kira. I promise. Alright?"

A few minutes after that, Jordan and several other officers who had gotten calls from the frightened staff, hurry into the hospital. But all the danger is gone now. Most of what they can do is take reports of what they've seen.

When Jordan finally sees Nixie, she's at the other end of the hall, her arms wrapped around Scott in a fierce grip. Dr. Dunbar is standing to the side, waiting as patiently at he can for her to be finished. Jordan watches them down the hall for a moment, and then decides to leave her be for now. He could ask her about what happened later.

After all… he has her number now.

When Nixie pulls back, Scott isn't surprised when he is immediately slapped in the back of the head. Dr. Dunbar makes to step forward and protest, but Scott holds out a hand to him to stop him. Then he just nods down to Nixie and says, "I know. I'm sorry." "You damn well better be. And if you ever scare me like this again, I'm going to cuff you to my own wrist and not let you out of my sight for a month. Maybe two, depending on how worried you've made me."

Kissing the top of her head, Scott answers, "Love you too, Nix." "Yeah. Love you. Jerk." He chuckles, and then walks away with Dunbar so they can do some tests.

* * *

When Nixie gets back to Kira's house, Ken is already packing a bag to leave. Noshiko had to be sent elsewhere for treatment, and he was going with her. Kira was going as well, Nixie knows that. Smiling at Ken, she says, "Tell Noshiko my prayers are with her." "I will. Thank you, Nixie."

Heading down the hall, Nixie pauses outside of Kira's room when she hears Scott and Kira talking. Kira says quietly, "My mom's being taken to a hospital in Palo Alto. They actually put her in a helicopter." Scott asks, "But, she's going to be okay?" "Yeah. Yeah, Nixie was right. She just… doesn't heal like she used to. And… I need to be there with her. Especially if she's still on the list."

Scott nods, "I know. You should go." Then he grins and adds, "I actually still have to go back to the hospital again. They want to do a bunch of tests since I was… kind of… unofficially dead." Kira smiles back, "I guess Liam's dad has a lot of questions." "Yeah." Kira sighs then, and says, "I just… I wish it had all worked. It was a good plan."

They both turn to see Nixie when she says, "Actually, it was a terrible plan. I'm moving it to the top of the terrible plans list." Scott raises an eyebrow, "There's a list?" "Yes. Of all the worst plans we've ever had. And this one, is definitely at the top. And will remain there. Forever." He grins and says, "I can live with that." "Good."

Then Scott says, "I've been thinking about that though. I mean… why no one came to actually 'see' that I was dead? And… well, I actually think maybe it did work." Now Nixie raises an eyebrow while asking, "How so? You know who it is?" "No. No, I don't know exactly who it is. But… maybe we know more about him now."

Kira gives him a puzzled look and says, "But no one came. And no one got visual confirmation, right?" Scott nods, "I know. But that's why it might've worked. I mean… think about it. Who has the power to know when someone's dead, but doesn't need to see the body to know it happened?"

It takes Kira a moment longer than Nixie to get to that answer, which is why Nixie is the one who says in surprise, "A banshee."

And even though that's not exactly great news, both Kira and Scott laugh when Nixie says, "Well, that's just freaking peachy."

* * *

Everyone has been gone for hours at this point. It's late. Past ten, at least. And Nixie is still in the bathroom, trying to tend to her wound.

She'd known this one would be trickier than any of the others she'd had before. This one crossed through the middle of her back; which was going to make it a pain in the ass to try and stitch up. Not to mention it was still bleeding a bit. Nixie had bloodied up several of the towels in the bathroom and almost a whole pack of cotton swabs littered the porcelain sink, all stained red from her injury.

Leaning heavily against the sink, taking more peroxide and soaking a new cotton swab in it, she both feels and hears her phone vibrate from the corner of the sink she sat it on. Wearily, she swipes across it to answer, presses speaker, and says, "Yeah. I'm here." "Nixie?"

She pauses at that, and then asks in surprise, "Jordan?" "Yeah. Hey, I'm sorry to call so late." "Oh no! It's fine. I'm not asleep or anything. What's up?" "I… heard about what happened at the hospital. And I just… well, I have a lot of questions, actually. But for now… I just wanted to ask if everyone was okay? I heard Noshiko was pretty badly hurt?"

Nodding, Nixie says, "Yeah. She um… it wasn't good. But Melissa was with her, which was definitely a good thing. And Dr. Dunbar helped when he arrived. They're sending her to Palo Alto… but she's gonna be fine." "Good. That's good. And, um… what about Scott? I heard that he was dead one minute and then… suddenly he wasn't… dead."

A pause, and then Nixie answers, "Yeah. Not sure what happened there myself."

Now the pause is on Jordan's side. Nixie frowns after a moment and asks, "Jordan? You still there?" "Yeah." She's not sure what to make of that, but then freezes when Jordan sighs, "You're a terrible liar. I mean… I know you're probably very good at lying to other people. But you're a terrible liar when you're trying to lie to me. You know that, right?"

Silence again, but Jordan feels his heart swell a bit when Nixie admits, "Yeah, well… that's probably because I don't like lying to you." Smiling, he asks, "Then… why? Why keep me out, Nixie? Why…" "Because it's not just my decision, Jordan."

Sighing and leaning against the sink again, she continues. "If it were just me, only me, and I called all the shots… you'd know, Jordan. You'd know everything, already. I trust you, I really do. But it's not just me. And it's… it can't just be my decision."

Jordan nods, and then smiles again when Nixie asks, "Why am I bad at lying when I talk to you? What do I do?" "Nothing in particular. Nothing you can change, anyways. I can just… hear it in your voice. The fact that you hate lying. I can hear it. You sound more… depressed and dejected when you're trying to lie to me."

He chuckles when she says, "Well… sorry." "It's alright. And… so what about everyone else? Noah was worried about Stiles at one point. Is he okay?" "Yeah, Stiles is fine. Everyone else is completely and totally fine right now."

Nixie freezes again though, when Jordan asks, "What about you?" "Oh, you know me. I'm fine, Jordan." "Nixie… knowing you does not guarantee that you're fine. In fact, if I've learned anything, it's that when stuff like this happens, you are probably most definitely not fine." Nixie grins and says, "Touché. But I am fine."

Jordan doesn't tell her that he knows she's lying again. Instead, he asks, "Well, do you need anything? Melissa mentioned she was worried that none of you had eaten anything in a while. I can bring you some food, if you like." Nixie smiles and says, "Pleasant as that sounds… I'm alright, Jordan." "It wouldn't be any trouble, Nixie. I can swing by the apartments and…" "Oh, I'm not at the apartment anymore." "What? Why?" "Um… I'm staying with the Yukimaras now."

Blinking in confusion, Jordan asks, "Aren't they all gone right now?" When he gets no response, Jordan asks gently, "Nixie… why did you move out of the apartment? What did…" "Jordan… please? Please don't ask me that tonight. Please?"

Nixie squeezes her eyes tightly shut, trying not to cry. She hadn't cried up to this point. It made no sense to feel like crying now. Maybe it was the stress of the past few days finally catching up to her. Or maybe it was just how strongly she felt about not wanting to lie to Jordan anymore. But whatever it was, she needed to get a grip. She had more important things to worry about. Like not letting herself bleed to death. Yeah. That was definitely more important.

Jordan remains silent for a moment, but then finally says, "You're sure you're alright?" Sighing, Nixie answers, "I'm gonna be just fine, Jordan. I'm just… I think I'm tired." "Alright Nixie. Goodnight." "Night, Jordan."

After he hangs up, Nixie takes in a few deep breaths before muttering to herself, "One problem at a time. Just one at a time right now. Is that too much to ask?"

It's thirty minutes later, and Nixie is threading a needle, pondering how she's going to manage to stitch herself up all the way. That's when there's a knock on the door. Frowning, Nixie shouts, "Um… The Yukimaras aren't here. And whatever you're selling, I'm not buying."

The knock simply comes again, and then again when Nixie doesn't answer. Groaning, she slips her bra back on that she'd taken off earlier, and slides her jacket back on and zips it up. She wasn't about to put a shirt on over her wound again. But the jacket had a huge gash in the back now, so she was alright with that.

Coming up and opening the door, she says, "I said they aren't…" "You told me you like Italian, right?" Nixie blinks in shock and surprise when she sees Jordan standing there. His eyes dart down briefly to the deep V she'd left open in her jacket, but she swiftly zips it up further upon realizing it's someone she knows.

After that, he just walks in, not waiting for a response. Nixie stares at him, her mouth hanging open slightly as he moves into the kitchen, a large bag in his hand. Setting it on the counter, he says, "I'm pretty sure you said that Italian was your favorite type of food. Or did I remember that wrong?"

When he still doesn't get a response from her, he glances up from the counter to find her still at the door, just staring at him. Raising an eyebrow, he asks, "Are you gonna shut the door, or do you want to let all the heat out of the house?"

Blinking herself awake, she shuts the door, and then shifts her jacket to better cover her wound again. Still looking completely baffled, she says, "Um… no, you got it right. I like Italian." "Good. Get in here."

Crossing her arms as she comes, she says, "You're not the boss of me. And I don't recall actually inviting you in. And furthermore, this isn't even my house. You can't just…" Jordan gives her a look and says, "I'm the sheriff's deputy. I don't think they'll have a huge problem letting me be here for a little while."

When she gets to the counter, he pulls out three containers of food from the bag. Opening them all for her to see, he says, "I know we talked about it the day the virus broke out in the school, but I couldn't remember exactly what you said your favorite meal was. I just remember that you, very specifically, said that you didn't like any of it with melted cheese on it. So… nothing has cheese. Take your pick."

He meets her confused gaze with a simple tilt of his head. Tilting her own, Nixie asks, "Why are you here? I told you I was fine and going to sleep." "And you're not asleep yet. And I told you that you're a terrible liar when you're trying to lie to me."

Bracing his hands on the counter, he nods towards her and says, "So I'm here. And at the very least, I'm going to feed you. Now, we can do all of this one of two ways." Raising an eyebrow, Nixie asks, "And pray-tell, what exactly are these two ways?" He grins, "Easy and hard."

Nixie gives him a look, but he continues undeterred. "Hard way is; I can pester you with questions that you can't answer yet, since it's not just up to you, as we discussed earlier. Or… easy way; which is… you can eat something. You can tell me why you aren't already fine. And I can see if maybe I can figure out a way to help with that a little. Hopefully without asking you any questions that make you feel like you need to lie to me."

He lets her stare at him a moment longer, and then says gently, "It's up to you." Finally, she reaches forward to take the container of food that is a mixture of noodles, chicken, herbs, and vegetables; all soaking in an Italian sauce. Jordan takes another of the boxes for himself; this one containing shrimp. He pulls out the silverware from the drawer that Nixie points out to him, and then comes around to her side of the counter to join her in eating.

It's not lost on him that, when he comes over, she makes a conscious effort to keep her backside out of his line of sight. He's already seen the tear in the back of her jacket though. And to say that it worried him… well, that was an understatement. For the moment though, he lets her eat a few bites of the food.

Nixie's eyes close as she sighs in relief. She hadn't realized just how hungry she was… not until she'd smelled the food when Jordan brought it in. Jordan takes another bite before asking, "Good?" She nods and asks, "Where'd you go?" "Little place in town called Cuci's. Not very big, and they do mostly takeout. But the food is always good." Nixie nods in approval, taking another bite and trying to make sure she isn't just scarfing it down. Jordan was apparently worried enough already, without her giving him even more evidence that she had been starving.

After another moment, Jordan finally asks, "So… why aren't you already fine?" Nixie pauses, but then swallows her current bite of food. Sighing while she runs a hand over her ponytail, she says, "I'm… not really sure how to explain that to you. Not without… without telling you…" Jordan nods to show he understands. Then he asks, "Out of my own curiosity, it wouldn't have anything to do with the large tear in the back of your jacket, would it?"

Her stiffening was enough to tell him he was right, so he says, "Which explains why you're trying so hard to not let me see it." "I'm not…" "Nixie… no lies tonight. You don't have to explain everything… but no lying." She clams up at that, and to ease a bit of her nervous energy away, Jordan rises and asks, "You thirsty?" Nixie nods, and then points to where the glasses are above the sink. Bringing down two glasses, Jordan fills them both with ice and water.

When he sets one glass before Nixie, he can tell she's still trying to decide how to proceed in this situation. What could she tell him, and what did she need to keep to herself for now. And it wasn't like he was going anywhere any time soon, so he figured he'd give her another minute. Standing up straight, he says, "I'll be right back. Just need to use the bathroom."

Nixie, so caught up in her thoughts, missed what he said for about five seconds. Long enough for Jordan to leave and head down the hall, before she finally snapped herself back to the present and said, "Shit!"

He'll swear up and down that he wasn't trying to snoop around. And he really wasn't. He just wanted to use the restroom. And he'd seen the toilet through the crack in the door, so it had been easy to find at the end of the hall. But he hadn't known that walking in would reveal, at least for the most part, why Nixie wasn't fine.

And she wasn't fine. Not even close. He'd known she had to be hurt, given the hole in her jacket. But he hadn't assumed it was this severe. He'd thought at least half of what had her worried tonight, might just be stress over the dead pool, and keeping her friends safe. But that was definitely not it. At least, not completely. And not by a long shot.

Blood was everywhere on the counter. There were towels in the tub that Nixie had been trying to soak clean before washing them. There were cotton swabs and tissues in the trash can, soaked through with blood as well. There were even drops on the floor, having fallen from where she'd been standing.

This was not even a normal type of 'not fine'. Nixie was bleeding, and bleeding profusely from the look of it. Or, she was at least bleeding and unable to stop it from bleeding. He'd have to do something about that.

He feels frozen for all of a moment, and then he turns sharply, his intention to go and get her and bring her back here. But… Nixie is already there. Her eyes growing watery, darting around the room; Jordan can tell she's trying to think of any reason that could explain all of it away. But she can't.

So instead, she shakes her head and says, "Leave. Just… just leave." "Nixie, you know I'm not leaving. Certainly not now. What… how…" "I can't tell you." The hardness in her voice told him she was going to remain firm on that. There would be no explanation of how it happened or why.

Jordan stares at her for a moment, and then asks, "Where are the others? Why aren't they here, helping you?" Nixie looks up at him again and says, "They… don't know." And upon seeing Jordan's eyes widen to the size of saucers, she exclaims, "And you can't tell them!" "Nixie! That's…" "I'm fine! I really am! Or… I mean… I will be. It… it looks worse than it is! I can't go to the hospital or doctors! I don't… I don't think I can afford it anymore."

Jordan frowns deeply at that, but Nixie keeps on going. "And the others… they… they don't need to know about this. Not yet, and most certainly not tonight. We have enough shit to worry about without adding me to the list. I'm not dying. It's not fatal. I can handle this. I'm fine!"

He stares at her for a moment more, and then takes a breath to help relax his frame. Then he sighs and says, "Nixie… I swear, sometimes you're an idiot." She blinks at that, because that was definitely not the response she'd been expecting. She'd been ready for him to yell or argue again. But she was not prepared to hear him call her an idiot.

Consequently, she crosses her arms and says, "I'll have you know that I have a three-point-seventy-five GPA. And it would be a solid four, if I was a bit better and remembering historical events." Jordan does manage a smile at that, but then he says gently, "You're not fine." "I am." "You are not." "I will be." "Maybe. But right now, you are not fine."

Huffing in aggravation, Nixie asks, "Why are you snooping around, anyway? It's not your house, and it's not mine either. I didn't even invite you here. I told you I was fine." "And you were lying. And I told you that you were a terrible liar when you try lying to me."

Nixie groans in frustration, pulling at some of her hair while she tries to think. She pauses though when Jordan asks, "Why is it so terrible that I know you're hurt? Huh? What damage does it do that isn't already done?" Blinking at him again, Nixie says, "Because… I mean… I can't explain it to you. I told you… what we've done and what we've seen… it's not just my decision." "And I told you that I get it. And I told you when I got here that this could all go one of two ways. Hard way, or easy way."

Coming closer to her, gently reaching out to hold her arms in his hands, he pleads, "Please don't make it the hard way. Don't overthink it right now. Don't complicate it. I told you I wouldn't ask questions that make you have to lie to me. I told you to tell me why you're not already fine, and I'd see if I could help fix it."

He begins pulling her into the bathroom, and then says, "Now I see why you're not already fine. Now… let me try to help fix it. Please, Nixie. You can't… you shouldn't be trying to do this all on your own. You deserve so much better than that."

She stares at him for a moment more, a tear finally running down her cheek. Jordan can hear rain beginning to fall outside, but he pays it no mind. He doesn't let his gaze leave hers, until finally she lets out a long and slow breath. Swallowing thickly, she says, "I… need stitches. Can you…" Jordan nods that he can, and then shuts the door behind them and turns to face the sink.

He removes his uniform shirt, revealing the grey t-shirt underneath. Then he washes his hands thoroughly, using soap to clean all the way up his forearms. Drying off with one of the few clean towels left, he turns back to her to find her still standing in her jacket.

Coming in front of her, he says, "That'll have to come off. Is that okay?" She nods, but then clutches at the zipper of the jacket as though it were somehow protecting her. Tilting his head at her and narrowing his eyes, Jordan puts gentle hands on her shoulders and says, "Hey." She looks up at him again, a tremor running through her, and a nervous look in her eye.

Nixie hadn't ever been half-naked in front of someone before. Hell, even her friends had never seen enough of her to know about all her scars. Only Alison had ever seen all that. She'd been the only one. And even compared to Alison… somehow it mattered more with Jordan. She was in love with the man for Pete's sake. And it wasn't only the fact that she wasn't sure she was entirely ready to be that exposed before him… but she was also terrified that her fear would come true. That he'd see her new wound, and all her old scars, and then he'd run for the hills away from her.

But the look in Jordan's eyes was nothing but reassuring, and Nixie felt it sweep over her as he says, "You know better than to be afraid of me, Nixie. You know better. I'm not going to hurt you." Finally, she nods, and then bites her lip before admitting, "I know you won't. I just… I… might need help."

He nods, and then turns her to face the sink while he stands behind her. Gently, he says, "Go ahead and unzip." She nods and does so, and then Jordan gently takes the end of her left sleep and begins helping her pull it off. Nixie winces a bit at the movement she has to make using her left arm, so Jordan tries to make it so she only moves the minimal amount. It takes a minute, but he finally helps her remove the jacket.

Jordan drops it on the floor by the door, and for a moment he can't do anything, except stare at the gash on her back. From right shoulder blade to the bottom corner of her back, she was torn open and still bleeding a bit. And Jordan couldn't understand it. He couldn't understand how she was still standing her before him, and not sobbing or curled up in the floor in pain.

What the hell had happened to her? And more importantly… who had done it? Jordan didn't really care how important this person might be to anyone else… he would kill them. She could tell him that the president of the United States had done it, and Jordan would still try to kill him.

But… he'd promised her no questions. So he bites his tongue.

Nixie tenses a bit when she feels his fingers finally touch her skin. But in spite of her pain, she can't help but relax at his warm and gentle touch. He keeps his fingers outside of her wound so he doesn't hurt her, but he does trace out the injury, as though trying to gauge just how long and wide it was.

As he does that, he takes note of the other scars he can see. This new one was the most prominent… but it was not the only one she had. Her back has more, and as he lifts his gaze to the mirror, he can see that her front side has even more than her back.

Those are the ones that worry him the most, if he's honest. This one on her back, and then the ones on her front. The scar on her chest, running from her right collar down towards the center of her chest. The one above her right hip. The one at her left shoulder. And worst up there, is the one on her stomach. It rests on the right side, and looks to have been a deep and nasty wound at one point. It's carved crudely into her skin in a half-circle shape, almost like a cruelly done crescent moon.

He feels Nixie tremble, and so he returns his attention to her back. Grabbing the peroxide and a new cotton swab, he says, "Alright. This is going to sting." Nixie nods that she understands. Jordan pushes her ponytail over her right shoulder gently, and then gets to work cleaning out her wound.

Nixie can see him shaking his head in disbelief in the mirror. But when he glances up to meet her gaze, she ducks her head back down to avoid him. The hand cleaning her wound continues to do so, but Jordan's other hand moves to gently rest against the left side of her waist. Moving his thumb in a gentle motion, he says, "Don't try to read my mind, Nixie." "You think I'm an idiot for getting hurt like this." Jordan squeezes gently and says, "No, I do not."

She slowly looks up to meet his gaze in the mirror again. He offers her a gentle smile, and then looks back to her wound while saying, "I… just can't believe you aren't screaming. Or at least crying. I know this hurts." "I have been through worse."

He pauses at that, but then continues and says, "You shouldn't have been." "If not me, it would've been someone else. Someone I care about. That's unacceptable."

Jordan doesn't argue with her on that point. He just works a little longer in silence, making sure the wound is as clean as he can get it. And still, the only reaction Nixie gives is an occasionally tensing at the pain. But she doesn't cry, doesn't yelp, and doesn't scream.

After finally getting the wound clean, he tidies up her skin around the gash, cleaning up the blood where it had leaked down while he was working. Then he reaches past her for the needle and thread that Nixie had clearly been planning to use. "Is it sterile already?" Nixie nods in answer, and then jumps a little when Jordan says, "You're… gonna want to hold your bra up now. I can't stitch if I leave it clasped in the back."

She meets his eyes for a moment, but then nods and places a hand over her chest. Jordan unhooks her bra in the back, moving it completely out of his way now. Leaving it on earlier had been tricky, but he'd wanted to try and preserve what little modesty he could for her. But well, he couldn't see a way around needing to unhook it while he was stitching. He only had so many hands to work with.

Reaching to put a hand on her shoulder, he squeezes gently and says, "Just try and stay relaxed for me." Nixie lets out a huff of air and comments, "Yeah, sure. Because that should be so easy at this point." Jordan grins at her sarcastic tone. She was still nervous, but at least she wasn't quite as nervous as she had been before.

When she tenses as he's about to start, he says, "Just relax. Talk to me." "About what?" "Anything." He glances up to look at her in the mirror, and then asks, "Can you… can you tell me about any of them? Can you tell me where any of them came from?" Nixie knows he's referring to her scars, and she feels him pause when she tenses at the question.

After she relaxes again, he starts working on the stitches. He's only gotten through a few when Nixie finally says, "The scar at the front of my left shoulder." Jordan looks up to see it in the mirror again. It wasn't the worst of her scars, but it did appear to be the most haphazard. All her other scars seemed to be more specific, clean, or purposeful. This one… it just looked mean. It was a jagged line that dug in at the top of her shoulder and came down about three inches.

Nixie fingers it slightly and says, "This… was from my mother. It was the first day that it really started happening. The first day she snapped and became… well, you saw her. She… she broke a glass or a plate, I think. And when I came in, she was laughing. And I wasn't old enough to understand that she… wasn't right anymore. She grabbed a piece of whatever it was she broke and… she came after me. She kept asking if I wanted to play. That's… that's how you really know that it's not her. She asks to play."

They stay silent for a moment, and then Jordan asks, "Do the others know about these?" "No." "Why not, Nixie? Why don't the rest of your friends know about these? I mean… I get not wanting to worry them right now. I still think you should've told someone about this already… but I get it, a little bit. But the others… why haven't they seen them before?"

Nixie sighs, "Because they don't need to." "Yes, they do." "No, they don't." "Nixie… someone should know." Nixie meets his gentle gaze in the mirror, and then draws in a shaky breath before saying, "Al… Alison. Alison knew." Jordan freezes at that, not daring to tear his gaze away from hers. Nixie smiles shakily and says, "She um… had a tendency to barge in on me while I was trying to fix myself up. And after that… well, she refused to not know about them. Helped me patch them up. Helped me hide them." "Why would she help you hide?"

Nixie put a hand to the scar on her stomach, which she still considers the worst of them all. Then she says, "This one was the first one I got when she found out. And it… it was meant as a message. For Scott. And I had no intention of delivering it."

Jordan is about halfway down her back with the stitches. Gently, he says, "Someone else should still know about these, Nixie. They should know what you've endured for them." Nixie shakes her head, "We have… we always have too much to worry about."

Her shoulders slump tiredly, and Jordan looks to her face again in the mirror. Dark circles are under her eyes again, and she just looks completely beat right now. And yet… he knows if she needed to, she could still fly out of here in a heartbeat, if any of her friends called and said they needed her. Sighing, she adds, "We can't afford to worry about every cut and bruise. If they were fatal, I would tell somebody. But they never have been, so I don't. And by the time we reach a point where it might make any sense to tell someone… there's just no point anymore. I've gotten past the worst stage and it just… doesn't seem like I should worry anybody with it after that."

Running a hand through her hair, she says, "I can't add myself to the list of problems we have. Not when it's already huge to begin with. I can't do that. I won't."

Jordan lets another few moments of silent pass between them, nearly done with the stitches on her back. Then he says gently, "You need to show them these eventually. They need to see what you're willing to do for them." "They already know I would willingly die for them, Jordan. It doesn't get much more blunt than that." "Maybe. But knowing something as a fact, even believing it as a fact; and then seeing it proven in reality, are two different things. They know you'd die for them. They haven't seen just how much you've actually suffered for them. And they do need to see these eventually."

She doesn't try arguing with him further. She just waits for him to be finished. Once he is, he pulls out the bandages and works on securing them over the long gash. Then he clips her bra back in place.

Nixie doesn't really know what to do with herself at this point… until Jordan gently grips her shoulders. Pulling her back gently, mindful of her back, he pulls her to rest against him. Her head falls back to land against his collar, and Jordan wraps one arm around her at shoulder height, securing her to him.

The warm breath he breathes out in a sigh rushes down past her neck and over her skin. And it makes Nixie relax further into him. Then he says, "I don't have the same list of problems you and your friends do. At least… I don't yet. And even if I ever do end up sharing all those problems with you… I want you to promise me something." Nixie turns her head in towards him, a sign that she's listening. Then Jordan says, "Let me know about these. Any new ones you get. Let me help you take care of them. Let me take care of you, Nixie. You deserve so much more than that… so please, at least let me do this."

Silence reigns for a moment, and then Nixie answers softly, "Okay." Sighing in relief, Jordan presses a kiss to the top of her head before saying, "Thank you." And he laughs when she asks, "What on earth are you thanking me for? You just stitched me up and didn't run away screaming. No, you are the one that gets thanked. Not the other way around." "Well, then I guess you better hop to it."

Her laughter is music to his ears. Bending to pick up his uniform shirt, he draws it over her shoulders to cover her, and then turns her around so she faces him. Tilting her head up gently with his fingers, he says, "You're not supposed to go through all this pain alone, Nixie. Alison knew that. She knew it wasn't healthy. And you're pretty smart. I'm sure you know it too."

When she nods after a moment, he says, "Always tell me. Always." "Jordan… I'm not arguing. I will. It's just… you might be busy. And I…" Gripping her chin a bit so she can't look away, Jordan says, "I will never be too busy for you. Understand?"

Nixie nods again, and then lets out a shaky breath before saying, "Thank you, Jordan." Smiling, he draws her in close. And as she rests her head on his chest again, he whispers in her ear, "Anytime, Nixie."

And she knows, without a shadow of a doubt, that he means it.

* * *

And here is Chapter 8!

And I just realized that I haven't informed anyone as to the number of chapters that will exist in this new version of the story as a whole. Now I deserve to be slapped upside the head. How rude of me.

For those who care, there will be a total of 14 chapters in this new version of the story. Hope you're enjoying it so far! :)


	10. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: "I do not own Teen Wolf. The show, the characters, and any quotes from the show belong to Jeff Davis and his amazing team of writers. I only own Nixie, and anything I make her do or say."

And another heads up. This chapter ended up being insanely long as well. (Again, at least in my opinion). Just FYI.

Okie dokie. Please enjoy! :)

* * *

Chapter 9: Episode 4x9

When Jordan wakes up, he's in one of the standard police cruisers from the station. And he immediately knows something is wrong.

After getting Nixie to promise to let him help her with her injuries, they'd formed a sort of routine. Every day, she'd drop by the station, and they'd lock themselves in the lounge area for a little while so he could tend to her. And if she couldn't make it to the station, he'd come by Kira's house and tend to her that night.

She kept telling him to stop bringing food. And he just kept bringing it anyway.

In any case, last night he'd gone to her, with food and more bandages. Her wound was healing very nicely. And then, after he'd made certain she ate something, he left for the night.

That was when he'd gotten ambushed. He'd pulled over to help someone that looked to have a blown tire. Next thing he knew, he was hit upside the head, and his world was going black.

Now he's in a cop car, a pair of zip-tie handcuffs locking his hands to the steering wheel. And he can hear someone walking around the vehicle, splashing some sort of liquid everywhere. And judging by the smell, it was gasoline.

Bad. Extremely bad.

Jordan turns his head to try and see who it is, and then says, "Hey! Hey, what are you doing?! Listen… listen to me! I'm a deputy with the Beacon Hills Sheriff's department… I…"

But when Haigh lowers down at the passenger window, Jordan knows it's pointless to have said that. Haigh already knew who he was. Which, consequently, made this already bad situation, that much worse. Haigh looks at him in surprise and says, "Damn. I was hoping you'd be out longer."

Stunned, Jordan says, "Haigh?! What the hell are you doing?" With contempt obvious in his voice, Haigh answers, "You're a good guy, Parrish. But… the list says your worth five million dollars."

Jordan stops struggling with the wheel for a moment as he remembers the dead pool. Looking to Haigh, he says, "What? I don't know what you're talking about!" Haigh scoffs, "Oh, you mean to tell me that you, the sheriff's deputy, don't know about the dead pool yet? I find that highly unlikely, all things considered." "Haigh, please listen to me. I mean… I barely even make forty-thousand a year."

Bending down to look in the driver's window now, Haigh scowls at him and says, "I only make thirty-six; sheriff's deputy." And then he begins throwing the gasoline into the car with Jordan, drenching him in the foul smelling substance. Choking on it, Jordan pleads, "Haigh, please! Just stop! You don't have to do this. Look, if you're having money problems…"

Haigh laughs at him and says, "You're worth five million dead, Parrish. Sounds like you got the problem." He walks around the car again to the passenger side. Bending down to look at Jordan again, Haigh shakes his head in disgust and says, "You're a good guy. A good guy. That's what everyone keeps saying. Parrish is a good guy. Well, I'm sick of hearing it. And I'm sick of seeing you at the front desk, working hand in hand with the sheriff, when I should've been given that position. I've worked here three years longer than you."

Jordan shakes his head and says, "Haigh, please stop this. It's not a matter of years or experience. It's just…" But Haigh smirks and says, "I know it's not a matter of years or experience. It's not a matter of quality at all, I'm quite certain. It's just all about who her favorite happens to be."

Frowning, Jordan clearly doesn't understand. And as Haigh backs away, looking at the vehicle as though doing a final check, Jordan glares at him and asks, "You're just gonna stand there? You're just gonna listen to a fellow deputy burn to death?"

Haigh just smirks again and pulls out a pair of earbuds to put on. Then he pulls out his zippo lighter, and ignites the tiny flame. Looking at Jordan again, he says, "You've been her favorite since you first arrived, Parrish. Why Nixie likes you so much in such a short amount of time, I've never understood. But don't worry. You're little girlfriend is on the list too, and I'll get to her soon enough. I was going to go for Scott… but Nixie is worth just as much, so that will be a sweeter victory."

Jordan's entire body freezes in terror for a second. Not only was Nixie on the list, but Haigh was going to try and kill her next. Struggling in earnest, Jordan screams, "Leave her alone!" But Haigh just tosses the lighter at the car and says, "Goodbye, Parrish." "Wait! WAIT!"

And even as he walks away, leaving the scene of his crime, no amount of music playing in his ears drowns out the sound of Jordan's tortured screams as he and the vehicle are consumed by the flames.

* * *

With Lydia and Stiles in tow, Nixie waves eagerly at Noah, who is currently across the room with another officer at the moment. He comes over and walks them into his office. And before Stiles or Lydia can say anything, Nixie asks, "Where's Jordan?"

It wasn't lost on Noah that, every day for the past week or so, Nixie would come in and talk to Jordan. Not that it was strange. She did that often and regularly anyway. The slightly odd part of it, was that both of them would eventually disappear for fifteen or twenty minutes at a time, and then reappear together. Noah wasn't sure what they were doing in that time… but he wasn't oblivious to it by any means.

He'd actually already confronted her about it. Because getting together with Jordan, which was something Lydia very much wanted for them, was one thing. But being with him and coming to the station to… well, to do whatever they were doing? He wasn't sure he was going to let that slide.

However, when Noah talked to Nixie about it, asking her what the hell they were doing in the breakroom for twenty minutes at a time… Nixie's glare shut him up rather quickly. She was in love with Jordan. She was done trying to argue with herself about that. But she was not about to be accused of allowing herself to be taken and pleasured in the sheriff's station. She was in love. She wasn't stupid.

She ended up telling him that he was simply helping her with some private matters. And when Noah asked what those were, she gave him another look and told him that he could ask when they were done dealing with all this other bullshit. And since he now knew that there wasn't any 'funny business' going on… he was letting is slide. For now, anyway.

Raising an eyebrow at her, he says, "Nice to see you too, Nixie." "Sorry. Let's rewind." She takes a step back, as though demonstrating her restart, and then says, "Hi, Noah. How are you today? Where's Jordan, by the way?"

Stiles chuckles at her, and shrugs when Noah rolls his eyes at all of them. Nixie glances back towards Jordan's desk outside in the bullpen, a bit of concern working it's way onto her face. He was almost always there. Or, if he wasn't, then he was close by, and easy to hear and find. But he didn't appear to be anywhere right now.

She supposes he could be on a patrol, but Noah had actually been purposefully keeping Jordan closer to the office lately, for fear he would be attacked because he was on the dead pool. He hasn't demoted Jordan or anything. He still has plenty of work. Noah just… tries to keep him within a certain distance of the station, at all times.

Nixie is very grateful for that… even if Noah isn't necessarily doing it on her behalf.

Noah leans back against his desk and says, "Jordan hasn't shown up today." Frowning deeper, Nixie asks, "Why?" "Nixie, how would I know that? I'm not his keeper." "You're his boss though! Surely he told you he was going to be running late." Noah shakes his head to that, and then holds up a hand to stop her. Looking to Stiles, he says, "What are you all here to tell me? You might want to get that out pretty quick, before Nixie sends me out on a search party for Parrish."

Lydia grins over at Nixie, who blushes a little. But to Noah's credit, she doesn't argue that she wasn't going to send him out to find Jordan.

Stiles briefly explains about the code that Lydia found in some of her grandmother's things. Then he says, "It's not just that she could still be alive." Lydia finishes, "It's that she would've had to fake her own death."

Noah glances between them for a moment, and then asks, "You're grandmother? Lorraine Martin? Faked her death?"

And Lydia can't help but grin and laugh when Nixie says, "No. We're talking about the other Lorraine Martin. Of course we're talking about Lydia's grandma." Noah gives her a look, but then asks, "How certain are we that she faked her death?" Stiles immediately says, "Definitely." Lydia gives him a look while Nixie waves her hand cautiously and says, "Maybe." Stiles concedes that they aren't positive yet, but comes back saying, "But more than likely. Yes."

Noah crosses his arms briefly while he thinks, and then asks, "And, I'm guessing you've all got a story to back this up?" Silence for a moment, and then Lydia says, with a bit of shame in her voice, "She… might be helping the Benefactor."

Stiles, of course, adds shamelessly, "Or is the Benefactor." Lydia sighs, but then smiles when Nixie puts an arm around her and says, "Hey. No stressing about the fact that it's a blood-relative, Lydia. We can't help who we're related to. And we can't help it if they sometimes don't turn out to be exactly who we think they ought to be. We can't take on trying to make sure they were all good people. We just have to focus on us, and make sure we are the best we can be."

Lydia nods, and then laughs when Stiles says, "After you're done comforting Lydia, maybe you could try working a bit of magic on Malia. She still doesn't seem to get that we're not doomed to our parent's mistakes." Nixie smiles, "Oh, have no fear Stiles. I am all kinds of all over this."

Noah smiles gently down at her as well. Then he says, "Now… back to the Benefactor. This story… it sounds like a story worth hearing. So, let's have it." He closes the door to the outer office, and then turns back to them to hear the story.

While Stiles and Lydia begin explaining it to him, Nixie glances back out at the office. And when Noah looks over at her, he finds a deep look of worry covering her face. Pausing Stiles in his story, he moves to the door and cracks it open. Sticking his head out, he asks, "Anybody seen Parrish?" No one responds, so Noah looks to Haigh, who was supposed to be riding with him this week, and asks, "Haigh? Seen Parrish?"

Haigh snaps his attention up to Noah, a bit more nervy than usual, and then shakes his head and says simply, "Haven't seen him."

Noah nods to that, stepping back into the room and shutting the door again. To Nixie, he says, "Soon as we're done here, I'll swing by his place to see if he's still there. We don't know anything yet, so…"

But Nixie had snapped her attention to Haigh, and was still staring at him angrily. Moving into her line of sight, Noah says, "Hey. What's going on? I know you don't like him, but…" "He's lying." Stiles and Lydia glance at each other, and then Lydia asks, "What do you mean? How do you know?" "I don't know! Same way I usually know when people are lying to me, I guess. I can just feel it. And he's lying. He knows where Jordan is."

Bringing her confused eyes back to Noah, she says, "I just… don't know why he would know when no one else does. I mean… why would he…" And right about that time, Nixie's eyes shift to look past Noah, into the office. Widening as huge as saucers, she brings a hand up to her mouth in terror while whispering, "Oh my God."

Meanwhile, as soon as Noah had returned to his own office, Haigh had typed out his message to the Benefactor, inquiring as to how he could get the money he thought he'd earned in Jordan's death. He was even grinning, thinking that it would be easy to get Nixie next at this point. He could make up a story about where he'd last seen Jordan and get her to come with him alone, and that would be the end of it.

But it wasn't. Not even close. He was still waiting on a response when the doors to the outer office opened, and Jordan came walking in.

He was covered from head to toe in black soot and ash. Charred and burnt pieces of clothing hung from his skin, only the barest pieces remaining to keep him even close to decently covered. He looked like a man who'd been through hell and back, and was actually still attempting to walk through it.

And though it was terrifying to see, Nixie couldn't help but also think that he looked sexy as hell. She was scared about what happened to him, but she couldn't deny that he looked like a sexy-ass fireman who had just saved everyone from a burning building.

But that was beside the point. Because as Jordan walked in, Nixie could see that he had tunnel vision. And it was all directed at Haigh, who finally looked up from his desk. Recognition was quickly replaced with horror, as Haigh realized who was coming for him. Shaking his head in disbelief, Haigh says, "No… you're dead."

Nixie's heart stops upon hearing that, no matter how untrue the statement clearly was. Jordan was alive. A little worse for wear right now, but alive.

And the fact that he was hurt at all… was apparently Haigh's fault. At least, that's what Nixie thinks it must mean, when Jordan grabs Haigh by his front and picks him up. As though the man were nothing more than a rag doll, Jordan slams him against the nearest wall as hard as he can, yelling angrily in his face.

Haigh grabs his gun, but Jordan seems unfazed and grabs hold of Haigh's wrist, holding his hand out and away so there's no chance of being shot. Noah, from within his office, watches in shock as Jordan then drags Haigh off the wall and slams him down onto the floor. Then he quickly hurries out of his office. Drawing his gun, not quite understanding what was going on, he shouts, "Hey! Parrish, what…"

But as Jordan begins punching Haigh in the face, the gun goes off again, and Noah is taken slightly back at it hits him in the shoulder. He drops down to the ground to hopefully avoid being shot again, and hurriedly brings Stiles and Lydia to the ground with him. Then he looks back and shouts, "Parrish! Parrish!"

Jordan either doesn't hear him, or doesn't care. He just keeps punching Haigh in the face as hard as he can. Nixie is still staring at him in shock, watching him beat the ever-living-crap out of Haigh, when she hears Haigh repeat in confused horror, "But you're dead. You're dead!"

That only gets him punched in the face harder, and if anyone were to take a guess, they'd probably wager that Jordan was trying to flatten Haigh's head onto the ground. And he'd continue to punch him for however long that took.

Noah was still shouting at him, trying to get his attention. That's when Nixie moved out of the office. Standing next to the door, she says, "J… Jordan?"

The voice that washed over him, that finally penetrated through his thoughts, wasn't what he'd expected. People, when describing the voice of the person they liked, often said that they had a voice like honey, or silk… like it was a warm and soft thing that wrapped around a person.

But not Jordan. Nixie's voice didn't feel warm to him. It felt cool. Which… well, was exactly what he needed. Her voice, to him, had the same calming effect that Nixie had spoken to him about when she had described why she liked the rain. It was like her voice washed over him in a cool and refreshing spring shower.

In that moment, nothing had ever felt better to him. Not in his whole life.

His arm stops mid-swing, and Nixie blinks in surprise at him. Noah had just been shouting at him to stop moments ago, but it wasn't until she spoke his name that he seemed to respond at all. Then he rises from the floor with an exaggerated slowness, his raised hand lowering to his side. Haigh remained in the floor, now a bloody mess that didn't look very threatening at all anymore, and probably never would again.

Jordan's attention then slowly shifted, turning so he was looking at Nixie. And she can't help but feel that the entire scene feels like something out of a horror movie. The exaggerated slowness, and the blankness that still seems to rest in Jordan's eyes. And Nixie has always hated horror movies.

But as Jordan begins moving again, walking towards her, she's not frightened by him at all. She's afraid for him. They still have no idea what happened. But… she was not afraid of him. Never, in a million years, would she be afraid of this man.

Noah, upon seeing where Jordan was headed now, tries to move and lift his arm to aim his gun again. Nixie glances at him, and then looks to Stiles and says, "Keep him still." Stiles listens, without question. Noah looks up at her and says, "Nixie, you need to back off. He's…" But Nixie shushes him and says, "It's alright, Noah."

And as Jordan gets right in front of her, she adds, "He won't hurt me."

He was crowding her though. She tries to keep at least some semblance of respectable space between them, given Jordan's state of almost complete undress. But he just moves with her, and as her back meets the wooden frame of Noah's office behind her, Jordan gets within a mere inch of their bodies touching. She can feel the incredible amount of heat still coming off of him, and she honestly wants to look over the rest of him, to see what else might be wrong with him. But for now, she keeps her eyes on his.

His hand raises slowly, and Nixie can hear Lydia whimper in distress, apparently worried that Jordan might try to hurt her. But Nixie says softly, "It's alright." His hand lands gently against the side of her neck. His thumb rubs gently against the back of her ear, where it rests, and for a moment, that's all he does. He just stands there, looking at her, with his hand gently on his neck.

Then his eyes suddenly start blinking rapidly, and the hand that was on her quickly moves to brace against the window pane that's behind her. A clarity enters his gaze again when he stops the blinking, and as he looks around, confusion wracks his features when he sees where he is. He can't ask how he got here though. He tries to speak and finds that all he can do for now is groan as his body begins to slump wearily out from beneath him.

Cool hands and arms wrap around him, attempting to support him. And though she can't exactly catch him, Nixie does manage to guide his slumping frame so he falls into the chair on her left, rather than falling into the floor.

She stares at him a moment longer, and then snaps her attention to Noah, Stiles, and Lydia. To Stiles, she says, "You need to get your dad to the hospital. I think the bullet is still in his arm." Stiles nods and helps his dad to his feet, keeping pressure on the wound to make sure it stops bleeding. While he takes care of that, Nixie turns to Lydia. "Call Scott. And Derek. Maybe he'll… maybe he'll know something. I don't know."

Lydia takes off to talk to both of them, and then Nixie turns her attention back to Jordan.

His hands were gripping the arms of the chair so tight, if he weren't covered in soot, she would've seen his white knuckles. He wasn't sure how he'd gotten to the station. He wasn't sure how he'd gotten out of the car.

Most important… he doesn't have any idea how he survived being burned alive by Haigh. He looks at the man on the floor, now a bleeding and broken mess. Then he glances over at Nixie. Her eyes were wide as she looked at him, and he's certain he sees terror in her eyes.

God… what had he done? Had he hurt her? What if he had? And what if he'd scared her? He knows that a moment ago, he would've continued pummeling Haigh into the ground, if not for her calling his attention elsewhere. He does remember that much.

Closing his eyes and gritting his teeth, Jordan tries to remember what he'd done; tries to remember if he'd done anything that he could set right, to hopefully remove the frightened look from Nixie's eyes. Because it worried him beyond belief, to think that he might've done something horrible enough to make her hate him. That thought alone, more than anything else right now, felt unbearable.

He was still struggling to remember, when cool hands landed on his shoulder. He relaxes a bit in relief as they take away some of the heat still on his skin. Opening his eyes, he finds Nixie before him again, her eyes still wide, but roaming over him now. Her hands shook as they traced out his shoulders, down his biceps, and over the rest of his arms. And for a moment, Jordan thought he needed to reassure her that he wasn't going to harm her.

But fear was slowly leaving her eyes as she found no other injuries on his body. And though he found the search unnecessary, he didn't dare tell Nixie to stop. And if he's honest… well, the search is merited, after all. He'd been locked in a burning and engulfed cop car. There should be several injuries. In fact, it shouldn't even be the injuries that she was worried about. He should be dead, and he wasn't. That's what they should be worried about.

Her eyes finally land on his again, and with her hands still shaking, she asks through her teeth, "What the hell did he do to you?"

Jordan blinks in confusion for a moment, but then he realizes he was reading it wrong. She wasn't afraid of him. She wasn't frightened _by_ him. She was afraid of what must've happened to him, even if she wasn't sure what it was.

And her hands weren't shaking because she was afraid or upset. They were shaking out of anger; out of pure rage. She was pissed as hell. And the only reason she wasn't over top of Haigh right now, finishing what Jordan had started, is probably because she was a little more worried about Jordan, than she was angry at Haigh. But only a little.

When he doesn't respond after a few seconds, Nixie shakes one of his shoulders and says, "Hey. Can you talk?" Nodding, Jordan clears his throat, and then looks around at everyone else that happens to be in the station right now. "Um… maybe not here, Nixie."

Glancing to her side, she nods in agreement, and then glances back at Haigh. Jordan feels a tremor run through her body, and her hands become even colder than they already were. Finally, she says, "Lydia."

Lydia had been waiting just inside the sheriff's office. She was trying to give Jordan and Nixie a bit of space. Coming forward now, she says, "Scott's gonna text me where we're meeting in just a minute. Then we can…" But Nixie shakes her head and says, "Find Jordan's SUV, wherever it is, in the back. Stiles needs his jeep to go with his dad, and we can't all get on my bike." She nods towards Jordan's desk and adds, "The keys are in the top right drawer of his desk. Get them and pull it around to the front."

Lydia nods, but says, "I don't know where we're going to go though." "I don't care, Lydia. I don't care if we just get in the damn car and drive in circles for the next hour." Looking up at her friend, Nixie says, "We… _I_ need to leave, Lydia. Or I am going to kill him."

She nods after a moment and says, "I'll get the car. You get him outside." Nixie nods, and then turns back to Jordan. Gently, she asks, "Can you stand?" He nods and rises to his feet. And though he feels much steadier than before, he keeps an arm around Nixie's shoulders for support.

Well… that's what he tells himself it's for. But if he's honest, he's not so sure that she won't still try to kill Haigh if he doesn't keep her close.

Lydia pulls up a few seconds after they get out the door, and Nixie helps Jordan slide into the backseat. Gripping his chin gently, she says, "Do not move." He doesn't argue, and then watches after her as she shuts the door and meets Lydia at the front of the car.

To Lydia, she says, "I'm going to grab one of the spare sets of clothes he keeps in his locker here. Wherever we end up going, he needs a shower before anything else. I'll be right back."

Once she has the clothes, she hands them to Lydia, who has taken a seat behind the wheel again. Then she climbs into the backseat, on the other side from Jordan. Closing the door, Nixie says, "Drive, Lydia."

Then she turns to Jordan. Scooting closer, looking over his body again, she asks, "What did he do to you?" Jordan watches her for a moment, and then says, "He… trapped me inside of a police cruiser. He covered it in gasoline. And then he set the whole thing on fire."

The look that enters her eyes is like nothing he's ever seen. He'd seen her angry. He'd seen her glare at people and had watched those people wither away from her in fear. But this… this was the worst he'd seen yet.

And he noticed that Lydia was cranking up the heat in the car, because it had suddenly become frigid, despite the warm temperature outside.

Her cold hands then land on him again, once again trying to discern if there were any injuries on him that she wasn't already seeing. Finally, Jordan grips her hands in his to stop her. Tilting his head, he asks, "Why aren't you afraid of me?"

Her eyes snap up to his, and with a frown, she asks, "Why the hell should I be afraid of you?" "I'm afraid of me. I don't… I don't know how…" Nixie softens her gaze a bit. Sighing, she says, "You are, quite literally, one of the least scary things I've ever seen. And I have seen some truly terrifying, and bat-shit crazy, bullshit in this town; so don't argue with me." Cupping his face in her hands, she says, "You are not dangerous. Not to me. And not to the people that matter to me. And that's all I care about. You're a good man."

Gritting her teeth again, she says, "And I will kill him for what he did to you." Her eyes go back to roaming over every inch of him, until finally Jordan pulls her closer. He still felt too hot, and Nixie was cold and refreshing. Pulling her in close, turning her so her back was to him, he wraps his arms around her. Leaning his head back as her head rests back on his chest, he says "I'm fine, Nixie." "Don't lie to me."

She feels him kiss the top of her head, and then he says, "I will be fine. I promise." She nods to that, gripping one of his arms that is wrapped around her, holding it in place, as though afraid he might let go. But he wasn't letting go. Not a chance in hell.

He'd never felt it before, ironically enough. Everyone always talked about how Nixie's hugs were a thing that always brought comfort and security. She pushed stress and worries away. And… he supposes he felt it in smaller senses before, but never like this. In fact, he often felt like he was the one comforting her, and being able to do that filled him with a sense of pride and completeness.

But he felt it now. Like every care he had was being lifted off his shoulders. His overheated skin cooled to a much more comfortable temperature as she remained against him, and he closes his eyes and relaxes, though he keeps a tight grip on her.

Lydia's phone goes off, and after she's done talking, she says, "We're meeting at Derek's loft. He can shower there." Nixie nods in approval, but doesn't say anything else.

She doesn't miss Lydia smiling a little as she looks at them in the rearview mirror. Because in spite of everything… Lydia was happy to see the two of them so close together. But, to her credit, Lydia keeps herself quiet, and drives them in silence to Derek's loft. Hopefully, where they'll find some answers.

* * *

As Derek turns over Jordan's hands, looking at them in his own amazement, he asks, "He covered you in gasoline?" Jordan nods, glancing over at Nixie who is leaning against one of the support beams in the loft.

She'd become a bit distant again. Almost as soon as they got to the loft, she withdrew. Not in a hurtful way though. She still wasn't afraid of him, and she stayed by him when they brought him inside. Scott and Derek were already there, and Derek told Nixie where to take him so he could shower. Well… he told Nixie once he got over his moment of shock upon seeing Jordan's soot covered body.

Jordan could also see that they all had questions they wanted to ask him… but Nixie's look told them to not even think about asking them right now. Not until he was clean and changed, would anyone be allowed to ask him anything.

But she was still distant again. The same way she had been when they'd first come to the station, to show him that he was one of the people on the dead pool. And she'd done that for fear he would be angry with her, or suddenly resent her for that secret.

When he comes back out of the shower, he's still not wearing his shirt. He runs the towel over his head once more, and then looks up to find Nixie still standing in the hall, waiting for him. She was leaning against the wall, deep in thought. Her arms were crossed, her eyebrows drawn together in deep concentration. And she was biting her lip. Not even like normal. It would forever be an action that would make him want to kiss her, dangerous as that temptation might be.

But this time… well, she looked like she was about to bite a hole through it. And her position against the wall doesn't change. Not until he comes to stand in front of her. Tilting her head up gently with his fingers under her chin, he smiles gently when she jumps in surprise. Then he asks, "And what are you thinking on so hard over here?"

She shrugs in response, but she also immediately bites at her lip again. Shaking his head, Jordan asks, "What's wrong?" Her eyes snap up to his, and Nixie says, "Jordan. Seriously, quit worrying about me. I am fine. You, on the other hand, we are very worried about. A sick and twisted bastard tried to burn you alive. No… we are worried about you. Extremely worried. And that is all."

Nixie makes to head back up the hall at that, but Jordan catches her elbow and pulls her back. Maybe with a little more force than necessary, because she stumbled into him, her hands landing on his bare chest and her body pressed closer to his than usual. Eyes widening, she tries to take a step back, but Jordan puts his hands against her back to keep her in place.

Shaking his head again, he says, "That's not all I'm worried about. Now, tell me what's bothering you." She stares up at him for a moment, and then lowers her head so her forehead presses against his chest. For a moment, they just stand there like that.

She finally takes in a breath, and looks back up at him. "Jordan. There's… you're about… to be told a lot of things. You're going to learn a lot today. And… and before you do that… I just… I have one request. If… if that's alright?" Jordan nods and says, "Done. Name it." Blinking, she says, "I haven't even asked you yet." "I don't care. Anything to stop you from looking so sad."

The tiniest of smiles makes her lips quirk on the right side, and then she says, "Just… don't hate me. Not right away. Give me, like, just five minutes, where you don't hate me. Then… then you can go and think whatever you want about me."

Jordan still thinks it's the most ridiculous request in the world. Who, in their right mind, could ever hate Nixie? He didn't get to ask her that though, or ask why she thought he would ever hate her. She finally started blushing at their close proximity, and squirmed out of his grasp until he finally let her go. Then she led him back down the hall to the main room of Derek's loft.

Now he's standing here with Scott, Lydia, Derek, and Nixie. And while he'd nodded simply enough to Derek's question, he finds himself struggling not to laugh when Nixie says, "No, Derek. Haigh covered him in flowers and wished him a nice fucking day. Obviously, he was covered in gasoline!"

Derek looks over at her with a raised eyebrow, but goes back to looking Jordan over. Lydia then asks, "It's the hair and nails, isn't it? The, uh, parts of the body that are essentially dead." Derek nods in answer, but then says in bewilderment, "Well, they should be gone."

Jordan looks at all of them and says bluntly, "I was set on fire. All of me should be gone." Scott shakes his head though and says, "Not if you're like us." Tilting his head, Jordan asks, "Like you?" Nixie sighs and steps up to join them now. Nudging Scott, she says, "He's on the list. I'm pretty sure that makes it a given, that he's like you guys."

While Scott and Lydia look at each other, clearly wondering if Nixie would agree if she knew she was on the list, Derek looks at Jordan again and says, "I don't think he's like us. At least… not entirely." Nixie raises an eyebrow while Lydia asks, "Then what is he?"

Jordan looks at all of them in bafflement while Derek says, "Sorry, but I have no idea." And if Jordan weren't so interested in figuring out what the hell was going on, he would've laughed at how ridiculous the conversation sounded. Because here they were, just standing around, talking about 'what' he was. Like this was a normal, everyday, conversation for them.

Well… he'd wanted to be in. Now it looked like he most certainly would be.

Scott looks to Derek and says, "But you knew about Jackson and Kira." Derek gives him a look, "This is a little out of my experience." Nixie tilts her head and asks, "You mean you don't have all the answers when it comes to supernatural shit? What a shocking surprise."

Derek narrows his eyes at her, but grins all the same. Then he suggests, "There might be something in the bestiary. Did you try Argent?" Scott looks over to Nixie, who says, "He's not answering me. Which reminds me, don't let me forget to slap him in the head next time I see him. Nerve of him… not answering me right now. Unacceptable."

Derek nods that he'll remind her, and then they all look to Jordan when he throws out his hands and asks, "Okay, hold on. What the hell is a bestiary?" Nixie raises an eyebrow and asks, "That's your first question?" Giving her a look, he says, "No, now that I think about it."

His tone must've come off a bit harsher than he meant it, because Nixie snaps her gaze from his, down to the floor. Easing himself a little bit, he says in what he hopes is a lighter tone, "Just… just tell me one thing." They all look at him, waiting for the question. Then he asks, "Are all of you like Lydia? Are all of you psychic?"

Derek smirks and asks, "Psychic? You think that this one, is…" Jordan would've thought to ask what else he was supposed to think, when they'd never explained any of the rest of this to him before. Because if Lydia wasn't psychic, then what the hell was she. And Derek's tone right now, one of slight mockery, was not helping.

He didn't have to comment or defend himself though. Derek didn't even get to finish his last statement, before a slap rang through the loft. Nixie, standing between Derek and Scott, had snapped her hand up and whacked him on the head before anyone else could even blink.

And it had apparently been a while since he'd been slapped in the back of the head, because he turns to look at her in surprise while asking, "What was that for?" "Currently, for annoying me. What the hell else is he supposed to think, when she shows up with all the dead bodies for no other apparent reason?" Derek raises an eyebrow, and might've teased her about how defensive she was being towards her deputy. But Nixie points a stern finger at him and says, "My day has not started off great, and appears to be sliding downhill as we speak. My patience, while usually in great supply, is in very short supply right now. Do not test it. I'm in a murderous mood."

Nodding finally, Derek looks over to Scott, a sign that he should continue leading the conversation. Scott turns to Jordan and says, "No, we're not psychic. None of us are." Jordan watches Nixie a moment more, and he can tell that even though she would've told him all of this long ago… she was still worried about his reaction when he heard it.

He'd just have to make sure his reaction was a good one. To Scott, he asks, "Okay. Then, what are you?"

It's not lost on Jordan that, though Nixie told him it was not her decision to make alone, the other three automatically turn to her to see if she thinks this is a good idea. Should they tell him? Nixie looks up at them, and then turns to Scott and says in exasperation, "My mind has not changed. It has remained the same, from the first time I saw him, to now. So show him your damn eyes, explain stuff to him, and then we need to work on coming up with a plan so this shit will finally end. Because if somebody doesn't come up with something else for me to do, and soon, I'm going to institute my own plan for the day."

She begins backing away to the support beam again, when Derek asks, "And what plan is that?" "Murder Haigh. And anyone else that tries to get in my way."

To Lydia's complete and total joy, Jordan is the one who comments, "That could get pretty messy." Nixie simply leans back against the support beam and answers back, "And that is why God invented bleach."

Scott nods to her reassuringly, and then turns back to Jordan, with his eyes glowing bright red. Jordan leans back in surprise, and then takes a seat on the couch while Scott begins explaining to him what they know about the supernatural world.

About five minutes in though, Lydia's phone rings. "Hey Stiles. How's your dad?" "He's fine. Listen, um… is Nixie there? I thought about calling her phone, but then I thought, she might be busy."

And seeing that Nixie already heard the question, Lydia just puts the phone on speaker while Nixie says, "When have I ever been too busy for Stiles? Like… ever?" Stiles chuckles, but then sighs and runs a hand through his hair. He smiles again though when Nixie asks, "What's wrong? I can see your hands twitching and you biting your nail from here. What happened?" "I… it's just the insurance. Dad needs surgery in the morning. And… well, there's actually a representative of the insurance company here today. And he's… well, to be blunt, he's being an ass. Expects me to quote the part of the policy that says they're responsible for getting the bullet out of my dad's arm. And he…"

Stiles stops when Nixie asks, "Where is he?" "Oh, he's right…" "Give him the phone."

Jordan watches the others in the room as they smirk or grin at each other, and then settle themselves down to watch Nixie work. The man that answers the phone says, "Hello Miss Haven. Now, I'm sorry, but…" "No, you're not." "Beg your pardon?"

Glaring at the phone, Nixie says, "I'm an exceptionally hard person to lie to, so do not bullshit me with false apologies. You are not sorry. Yet. Rest assured, you will be, for causing my boy any kind of grief today. Now, let's go over Noah's policy, shall we." "Oh… um… well, certainly. I have a copy of the normal and standard version here. If you want to come down, I can…" "I have my own copy. Consequently, I did not say 'let's go over the normal and standard version'. I said 'let's go over Noah's policy'. Clear distinction. Do try to keep up with me, I have very little patience today. Turn to page twenty-three."

Jordan raises an eyebrow as Nixie paces near the phone. Leaning towards Scott, he says, "She's not holding the policy. How does she…" Scott grins as he watches her, and then says, "She memorized it."

The conversation lasts about ten more minutes, in which Nixie keeps the bastard on the other end flipping through pages, pointing out to him all the fine print of Noah's policy. He was about to ask her another clerical question, obviously trying to jip Noah of some piece of coverage, when Nixie snapped over the phone, "I am going to go over Noah's hospital bill personally. And I swear to God, if there is so much as one penny charged to him that you and your stupid company should have covered, I will have my lawyer sue you and the whole damn company for every single penny you have. Good luck staying in business, much less finding a job, when I am finished with you. Now give the phone back to my boy. Now!"

Stiles answers a moment later and says, "I swear, I think the man actually shit himself." Lydia bursts into laughter while Nixie simply says, "Happy to help, Stiles." "Thank you, Nixie. And thank you for the MRI research too. I don't know that I ever said that." "You don't need to. My services are a given." "Yeah, well, I'm thanking you anyway. Get over it." "I'll try. Might take me a while though. I don't think I've ever been so insulted."

Stiles just laughs, and Nixie grins before saying, "Be careful, Stiles. Tell Noah I love him." "Will do. Bye."

As Lydia pockets the phone, she crosses her arms and asks, "So, you can memorize insurance policies, but not all the answers to history test questions?" Nixie gives her a look and says, "I don't like history." "But you like insurance policies?" "No." "Then what…" Huffing, Nixie says, "It makes no sense to memorize history. Alright? We learn about history so we don't repeat past mistakes. All the mistakes I've learned about so far, I wouldn't have been stupid enough to make in the first place. Makes no sense to worry about memorizing it. So there."

She turns to look at Scott, and then waves over at them and Jordan and says, "Continue."

When all is said and done, Jordan takes a moment to try and process all the information he's just been given.

For Nixie… it probably should've been a sign that he wasn't ever going to be angry, when he didn't look at them all like they were insane. Instead, his first question, which was mostly out of curiosity, is, "So… wait. What's a kanima?"

Scott blanks for a second, and then glances at Nixie when he hears her laugh ever so slightly. She runs a hand over her mouth and just shakes her head at him. Scott then says to Jordan, "We'll get back to that. For now, just know that everyone like us, everyone with some kind of supernatural ability, is on the dead pool."

Standing up, running a hand through his hair, Jordan says, "But I don't even know what I am." Derek raises an eyebrow and says, "I'm pretty sure they don't care." Jordan gives him a look, but relaxes when Nixie pinches the bridge of her nose and says, "Derek, don't make me threaten to kill you. You've been doing so well."

Derek smiles gently at her. Scott does too, but then looks back to Jordan when he smells a sudden fear begin associating with his scent. And why might that be?

Because Haigh had told him last night that he would be going after Nixie next. Nixie was on the dead pool. She was one of the targets. And something told him that she wasn't going to be quite as lucky if someone trapped her in a car and set it on fire.

To Scott, he asks, "How many professional assassins are we talking about?" Scott shrugs while Lydia says, "We're starting to lose count." Scott nods and adds, "We take one down… and two or three more seem to appear to take their place."

Nixie frowns, deep in thought for a moment. Then she stands up from the beam she was leaning against and asks, "But is it still just professionals?" Scott looks over at her, "What do you mean?" "I mean I've never liked Haigh. He's the worst kind of douchebag. But… I would've never pegged him for a professional hitman." She looks to Jordan for his opinion on the man, so he says, "I don't think Haigh's ever tried anything like this. I think he was just taking a chance. Well… that, and he has apparently been holding a grudge ever since I got promoted over him."

Nixie rolls her eyes at that, but then looks over at Derek, who says, "Bottom line, if he wasn't a professional, that means anyone with the dead pool could take a chance." Nixie sighs, "Then how did he get it? He wasn't trying from the start, and he would've if he'd known about it this whole time." And Jordan adds on, "And if Haigh had it, then who else does? How easy is it to get this thing now?"

For a moment, no one speaks; because they don't have an answer to that. Nixie then looks up at Lydia and says, "While we're here, tell them about the theory involving your grandmother." Lydia nods and explains what they'd been telling Noah earlier that morning. How her grandmother had been a banshee, and how she may have even been the one to invent the code in the first place.

Jordan, through all of this, keeps his eye on Nixie. She'd looked over at him once, and then immediately averted her gaze again. He couldn't understand her fear. He didn't even know what the hell he was? Why was she so afraid that he would hate her for whatever she happened to be? And he was certain he was handling the rest of all this rather well. So there was no sense in her still being so worried about him hating whatever supernatural creature she was. So, for the life of him, he can't imagine why she's still so determined to avoid his gaze.

Eventually, even though he still hasn't figured that out, he has to get ready to leave. Nixie, along with his spare clothes, had managed to grab a spare policeman's jacket as well. Sliding it on, he's about to head out the door…

But he can't do it. He was in now, and since he was in, he wanted to know everything. More than that, he most wanted to know what Nixie was, since she apparently thought it was so terrifying. And even though they had told him a lot, and given him a lot to think about… no one had told him what Nixie was yet.

Turning back to the room, he says to Scott, "Just… let me make sure I have this right so far. You're a werewolf." Scott nods, and then Jordan points to Derek, "And he's a werewolf." Then he points to Lydia, "And she's a banshee?"

Lydia nods with a smile, and Jordan adds, "And Kira and her mom are foxes?" Derek puts in, "Kitsune. But same thing." "And Liam is another werewolf. And Malia is a… were-coyote?" They all nod at him, and then he turns to Nixie. Nodding, he says, "And Stiles is the only human."

Her response isn't what he'd expected. He thought she'd shy away from him, since he was obviously trying to imply that he was wondering what she was. But instead, she tosses up her hands and asks, "And what does that make me? Chopped-liver? I'm the second human in this group. Or… I guess I could be our pack ninja. But don't anyone dare start calling me compact-ninja! I'll wear out my hand slapping people."

Scott grins over at her, until he notices the look on Jordan's face. Jordan stares at Nixie for a moment in confusion, and then his eyes widen. Turning to Scott, Jordan takes a moment to consider how certain he is that they would keep it from her. Then he nods and says, "She doesn't know. You haven't told her."

Scott tenses immediately, along with Lydia and Derek. Nixie frowns at their reaction to Jordan's statement, and asks, "What? What don't I know?" Jordan and Scott stare at each other a bit more, until Nixie snaps at them, "Hey!" They both look at her, and she says, "Someone had best damn well tell me what I don't know. And then inform me why I don't already know it."

Scott watches her for a moment, a sad look coming upon his face. He'd been hoping to avoid telling her this. He'd hoped to at least have some idea from Deaton about what she was, before he intended to bring it to her attention. But he couldn't do that now. Taking a breath, he says, "You're… Nixie, you're on the list. You're on the dead pool."

Nixie lets out a sharp burst of laughter, but when she looks at all of their faces again, she realizes they aren't joking. Frowning deeply, she says, "No. No, Lydia sent me the last third. My name isn't anywhere, I checked. It…" But as the thinks on it, she remembers that the list had been doctored so that Malia's last name, at least on the copy Nixie had, said Tate, and not Hale. But on the actual list, it apparently said Hale, because that's how Malia figured out Peter was her real father in the first place.

Snapping her eyes up to Lydia, she asks, "What did you do?" Lydia looks at her sorrowfully, and admits, "I… took your name off the bottom of the copy I sent to you." "Why?" And using Nixie's words against her, Lydia says, "Because we have more important shit to worry about."

Nixie stares at her for a moment more, and then shakes her head and says, "That… doesn't make any sense. I… I'm not supernatural. I haven't been bitten by anything. I've been a human as long as I can remember. I… I haven't changed, nothing about me has changed. I… It… it doesn't make any sense."

Silence for a moment, and then Derek says, "It's… not the strangest thing to learn though." Nixie looks at him and asks, "What?" "Come on, Nixie. You're not exactly normal." "I never said I was normal! But I'm not supernatural! I…"

Scott says gently, "You hear things you shouldn't be able to hear." "I've always been able to do that." "And when you're extremely worried, sad, or even angry… the temperature in the area around you goes cold." "I'm a cold person. I've always been…" "I don't just mean how you're in a constant state of cold, Nixie. I mean when things happen to make you upset. In particular, when Boyd died. And… when Alison died."

Nixie tenses at that, and the temperature in the room does, indeed, drop a few degrees. Scott gestures around and says, "See? And that night, when you came out to where I was holding her on the ground… Nixie, it was a clear sky before you learned that Alison was dead. And the second you saw her, storm clouds came rolling in. The rain and water on the ground around you froze over with frost. We're in southern California, Nixie. It shouldn't ever be that cold. It only ever is when you're around, and you're upset."

Lydia then adds, "And you know instantly, whether you like somebody or not." Nixie shakes her head, "That is not a guarantee. I just have… feelings. And…" "Come on, Nixie. Even intuitive people need, at least a day, before they determine if they like a person or not. If they can be friends. It takes you a matter of seconds to make up your mind. With Jordan, it took even less time."

Nixie would've blushed in embarrassment at having that pointed out. That is… if she weren't still wracking her brain about why she was even on this list to start with. To try and ease her a bit, Derek says, "I mean… I guess it could be wrong. It…"

But Jordan snaps his head to look at them in disbelief, and as Nixie looks at him, she says, "Doubtful. How much am I worth?" Scott sighs, "Nixie, it's not…" "Scott, how much?" "It's not important. We…"

Jordan doesn't know the exact number, but he does know what Haigh told him. So he says to her, "You're worth the same amount that Scott is." Lydia, Scott, and Derek snap their gazes to him, and Scott asks, "How do you even know that?" "Haigh told me before he set the car on fire. He said that after he killed me, he was going to go after her instead of you, because you were both worth the same amount."

Nixie's eyes have nearly bugged out of her head. Clutching at some of her hair, she mutters, "Twenty-five million. Wha…" As she begins pacing, she asks Scott, "Deaton knows?" Scott nods, and then shakes his head when she asks, "Does he have any idea what I am?" "Not yet. He's trying to work on it, based on what he knows. He actually finds the most intriguing thing about you to be that you smell like safety and security. You smell like home, to anyone supernatural that has a nose to smell it. You draw good people in. You calm the room, and you hug people and refuse to let their stress stay with them."

Nixie huffs and says, "That's… it's just how I am. It's how I've always been." Scott nods and says back, "And what you are must be rare, and special. Because Deaton said that a true alpha was about a rare as they come. And you're right up there with me."

Silence reigns for a moment, and then Nixie sighs as she rubs at her temples. Lifting her gaze again, she says, "We need to figure out who the Benefactor is. And we need to have figured it out yesterday. If Haigh had access to the list, then we have to assume that anyone and everyone with access to a computer or printer can somehow have access to the list. And from now on, no one goes anywhere alone."

Derek raises an eyebrow, "I thought that was already a rule." "Yeah, well, I'm reinforcing it. No one goes anywhere, to do anything, alone. And it is not up for debate. Until we figure this out, we're not safe anywhere."

They all nod to her, and then Lydia says, "I'm heading over to Stiles' house. We've been working on figuring out how to decipher my grandma's cipher. If we figure it out, we'll let you know." And for the benefit of Nixie knowing they wouldn't be alone, Scott says, "I'll stay here with Derek until Braeden comes back. Then I'll go check on Liam."

Nixie nods to that, and then looks over at Jordan. And he realizes that, though he may have just been brought into all of this, her rule was now in full force for him as well. Shrugging, he says, "I have to go back to the station. That's where I'll be."

He leaves the room at that, and Nixie takes another moment to think about it, before hurrying to grab her bag and follow him. Derek raises an eyebrow again and asks, "Where are you going?" "I'm going with Jordan. Who knows what other cop might have this damn list. He's not going to be there by himself… especially with Noah still in the hospital. I'll have my cell phone. And all of you, call me if anything happens or changes. And so help me, if you all keep anything else from me before we fix this situation, I'm going to end up giving you concussions, I'm gonna hit you so hard."

Jordan is standing by his driver's side door, honestly wondering if going back to the station was the best idea right now. He looks up when he hears the door to the loft slam shut, and he sees Nixie scrambling out of the building towards him. Frowning, he moves to the other side of the SUV and asks, "Everything alright?"

Nixie glances up at him, and then says, "Oh, yeah. Well, I mean, no. Nothing is alright. Several things are wrong at this point. Exceptionally wrong. But, nothing's gotten any worse since you left the room, so… yeah."

Her step immediately becomes more hesitant the closer she gets to him, and Jordan isn't about to wait until they get to the station to try and sort that out. Nixie was actually about to reach for the door handle herself, but he put his hand over it and then places one hand at her waist. Pushing gently until she's backed against the side of his vehicle, still mindful of her back, he pins her there so she can't leave.

She was about to protest, he could see it in her eyes, when Jordan cut her off by asking, "Are you afraid of me?" Her eyes snap up and she responds, "No! Of course not! I told you that you weren't scary to me! So…" He gives her a look, "Then why do you look like you're walking on eggshells around me? Again." "I've never…" "You did this exact same thing when Stiles and Lydia were with you at the station, showing me my name on the dead pool. Did I get mad then?" "Yes." "I was not mad!" "You were frustrated." "Maybe. But only a little bit. And I was not mad at you. So why are you afraid of me now?"

Giving him a slight glare, she says, "I'm not afraid." "Then what would you call it?" "Worried." "About what?" "I… don't know." "Nixie, don't lie to me." "I don't…" "Nixie…" "I'm worried about what you must think of me!"

Jordan blinks, and then asks, "Why? What has changed?" "You know everything now, Jordan. Well… everything that we know. And I kept it from you." He can feel her fidgeting beneath his hand. She obviously wanted to move and pace. But he reaffirmed his grip so she could go anywhere. Huffing a little, Nixie says, "First I didn't tell you that you were on the list. Then I also didn't tell you why you were on it. And you… you nearly died. Haigh tried to burn you alive. And I don't know what you are, or why it makes you fireproof, but if you were anything else, you'd still be dead. And maybe if I'd… if I'd filled you in sooner, then you… you know, you could've…"

Jordan honestly can't believe it. Nixie thought he was supposed to hate her for the secrets she'd been keeping? And not only that, but she thought he would hate her… because of what Haigh had done to him. Frowning deeply, he moves his hand that had been on the car, and grips her chin, forcing her to meet his eyes. "Nixie. You do not get to do that. You understand me?" Blinking, she asks, "Do what?" "Blame yourself for what that bastard tried to do to me." "But…"

Shaking his head, he slides his hand down to cup the side of her neck. His thumb moving in a soothing motion, he says, "You are not the only person in your group to keep it a secret. And in fact, you blatantly told me that if it were just your decision, you would've informed me sooner. I have known for months, that you guys have been keeping a huge secret from everyone in this town. I mean… I knew it almost as soon as I arrived."

He tilts his head and adds, "But, you and your friends… you're very selective about who you bring into this world with you. And I cannot fault you for that. It's dangerous… far more dangerous than I think I could've possibly imagined beforehand. And you have to be careful about who you let in, because of that."

Hardening his eyes again, he says, "And Haigh… he would've tried to kill me anyway. Regardless of whether or not I knew anything. And knowing everything that you just told me… it wouldn't have changed that. I wouldn't be any closer to having any kind of idea about what the hell I am." He leans a little closer and says, "You do not get to blame yourself for him being a complete ass and a bastard. And you do not get to assume that I'm going to hate you for what he did to me, or for the information you finally just gave me."

Nixie stares up at him for a moment, and then asks softly, "You… don't hate me?" Jordan shakes his head at her and says, "I can't believe you ever thought I would. The very idea is, quite honestly, the stupidest thing I've ever heard." "I am not an idiot." "Maybe. I'm beginning to think that's up for debate though."

But he grins at her, and though Nixie tries to look offended, she ends up smiling. Ducking her head, but not in any sort of worry or fear now, she says, "I… couldn't help it. You matter to me." Grinning, Jordan pulls her off the side of the car and into her arms. Cradling her head against his chest, holding her tight, he says, "I will never hate you. There is nothing that you could ever do to make that even a slight possibility. Do you understand?" "You don't know all that I'm willing to do or have done yet. You don't…" "I don't know a lot of things, Nixie. But I do know that much, without a shadow of doubt. Okay?"

Her arms finally wrap around him in return, and she whispers, "Okay." She hugs him hard and tight, and Jordan can feel some of her tension finally leaving. Ever since they'd left the station, she had continued to vibrate with a barely contained sort of rage. And he imagines that she has every desire to try and find Haigh again, punching him in the face until he's nothing but a puddle of blood and shattered bones.

He can't really say he'd mind that. But he is glad that he can hold her this way and help some of that ease away. Kissing the top of her head, he says, "Come on. I need to get back to the station. Where can I take you?" "Oh, I'm coming with you." When she leans back to look at him, he asks, "You sure that's wise?" "Wiser than you being at the station alone. That's for sure."

Wiping at her eye a little, refusing to cry any kind of tears right now, even happy ones, she adds, "And if Haigh is still there, I'm going to bash his face in. And then I'm going to kill any other officer that so much as looks at you sideways." Jordan grins a little at that, and then pulls open the door for her and says, "Just try to do it away from my desk. Blood's hard to clean up." "Noted."

* * *

Her ability to scare anyone and everyone away with one of her glares was not something Jordan would ever doubt again. Over the past hours, well into the night and on through the next morning, she had remained at his desk, sitting in the chair next to him, or leaning against it while he worked.

When they'd first walked in, several people had stopped to stare at him for a moment. But as soon as Nixie came up behind him, they snapped their attention to her, and then instantly went back to their work.

He could see it in all of them though, that they were curious about what had happened earlier with him and Haigh. But no one dared to ask him anything.

And anyone that approached his desk, even just to hand him other paperwork and simple things, tried to keep a clear distance. They actually reached for his desk, as far as they could, in an attempt to keep themselves out of reach of him.

The first time it happened, Jordan had been confused. But then he'd seen their eyes looking towards Nixie, and when he looked up, there was her infamous glare. And it didn't appear to ever leave her eyes. He watched her after a while, and even when no one was approaching him, or about to speak to him… she still glared at everyone that seemed to come within a three-foot radius of his desk.

Even Sherman, who was Haigh's partner whenever Jordan wasn't, didn't dare to ask him anything. He'd been thinking about it. When he'd come in the room, he immediately started heading for Jordan's desk. And from the look on his face, Jordan had expected him to maybe even threaten him with a beat down or something.

That was when Nixie stood up from her chair to lean against the desk. And Sherman drew up short, and then glared back before walking away.

That particular event had Jordan struggling not to laugh. Sherman was at least twice Nixie's size, but even he didn't want to chance arguing with her glaring eyes. It occurs to him that maybe that's another part of what she does. Maybe that's part of her supernatural talents.

After the first hour, he stood up and touched her elbow to get her to follow him. Not that he needed to. He'd walked across the room once to file a report, and she'd followed him that short distance as well.

Now he goes into the breakroom, and locking the door behind them, he says, "Go ahead and take off your jacket." Nixie watches him gather the medical supplies he usually uses to check her wound, and says, "Jordan, we seriously don't need to worry about it today. We…" "Nixie…"

She pauses, and as he comes up to her, he says, "Humor me. This is what we normally do around this time. It's routine, at this point. And I could use that right now." She raised an eyebrow at that, but did as he said and removed her jacket and shirt so he could tend to her.

After unclipping her bra and removing the bandages, he takes a moment to consider how healed up her wound already was. She might not heal like werewolves. If he understood that much, when Scott got hurt, it usually only took minutes to heal, given that it wasn't all too severe. It was taking Nixie days to heal… but she was healing. And she was healing at a rate faster than a human.

He also notices that, though he'd done all he could to minimize what scarring should be left behind… her body seemed to keep the scar in its entirety anyway. It was not a small line that went down her back. It remained a wide scar; one that marked her so everyone that saw it would be able to see exactly how bad it had been at one point.

He makes a note to ask her if she'd ever noticed that before, though he doubts she has. Until he'd mentioned it, she didn't think anything about herself was supernatural.

Anyways, after looking at the wound for a moment and determining that bandages were no longer necessary, he pulls out a soothing cream to rub over it. Still a bit tender, Nixie jumps a bit when he first touches it. But as his warmth sinks into her, she relaxes back down. After that, he clips her bra back into place, and grabs her shirt to help her back into it.

And he's very aware, even as the thought hits him, that he shouldn't. At the very least, not right now. But he can't help it. As he draws her shirt back down, his fingers on the inside of it, he lets them touch against her sides as they slide all the way down.

It wasn't until he reached her hips that he saw her hand grip the counter tighter. That was apparently a pressure point for her, whether she'd actually known it before or not. Grinning slightly to himself, watching a blush rush to her cheeks, he pulls his fingers out from within her shirt, and then asks as calmly as possible, "Think you can tell me where that came from now?"

Nixie relaxes a little, and after her blush dies down, she turns and even laughs a bit before saying, "Um… yeah, sure. The, uh… the berserkers that we told you about? Well, the night we were at the hospital, they were there. Liam, Kira, and me were fighting one on the roof. He was about to take off Liam's head, so I moved to make sure I got in his way. He got my back instead."

Jordan just stares at her for a moment, and then asks, "You threw yourself in front of him?" Nixie nods, and then frowns when Jordan says, "Nixie… you have to be more careful." "I am as careful as I can be. I am, and I mean that. But I will not just let these guys hurt the people that matter to me. If I can prevent it, than I will." "Liam heals faster than you." "Yes, and I let him get hit, several other times that night. But when I saw the berserker about to take off his head…"

She shakes hers and says, "Werewolves can't heal from decapitation. And aside from that, Liam is the newbie. I'd rather not see him hurt at all." "So you get hurt instead? You? The one who doesn't heal as fast, and now has scars left behind when she does heal?" Nixie hardens her gaze up at him and says, "I will protect my friends. Always. I don't care if they 'heal' faster than me. I don't care if maybe it would be easier to just let it happen that way. They are mine, and I will die for them, before I simply stand back and just let bad shit happen to them. I am not built any other way."

Jordan watches her a moment more, and then nods gently. She makes to head for the door, but he draws her up short. Puling her back into him, wrapping his arms around her, he sighs and says, "I don't mean to berate you. Being willing to die for them is admirable, and I would not change anything about you to make that different. But… I don't want you taking a bullet for anyone. You're clearly not quite as durable as they are when it comes to that."

Nixie leans her head back to look up at him, and then grins and says, "Well, lucky for us, bullets are rather rarely involved in what we do. Well, unless Chris is involved." Jordan rolls his eyes while he chuckles, and then reaffirms his grip when she squirms to get away from him. Huffing, he says, "Stop trying to get away from me."

She pauses at that, and then says, "I'm not leaving or anything. I just… I mean… you're too close." Jordan raises both eyebrows at that, and just holds her tighter while saying, "You literally stand over top of people sometimes. You've done it to me on more than one occasion. And yet, I'm too close right now?" "Right now? Yes." "Why?!"

The blush that rushes down her cheeks and to her neck was about as telling as it could be. And he smirks as she ducks down her head to try and hide it. Because apparently, he wasn't the only one that was worried about all the things he wanted to do when they were together. She was too.

Hugging her closer again, he says, "Promise you'll tell me when you get hurt." "I already did that." "That was before you guys told me everything. Promise me again. Please?" She nods and adds, "Only if you let me go." He chuckles, "Well, we might have a problem then."

He relaxes when she laughs too, and then she hugs him back and says, "We'll figure this out, Jordan. We always do." H nods, and then kisses the top of her head before finally letting her go and leading the way back to his desk.

She was still scaring people away from him, when she jerked in surprise when Jordan gently tapped two fingers against her sensitive hip. Looking down at him she asks, "What?" "Oh, nothing. Just trying to get you to not glare for maybe a minute or so." She gives him a look, but then watches a smirk work it's way onto his lips as he returns to his work.

Ten minutes later, he did it again, and Nixie took to trying to cover that spot, as though protecting it. But she always eventually moved her hand, and he would do it again.

Problem with it wasn't the fact that he was doing it at all. The problem was that she didn't want him to stop at just a tap. She wanted to feel what it was like to have him press in on that spot, a spot she hadn't known existed before.

Lord, he was going to be the death of her.

* * *

It was about an hour before Jordan's shift ended the next day, when Stiles and Lydia showed up. Jordan looks up when they walk in, and then taps Nixie's hip again. She jerks at it, and then glares slightly at Jordan. He just grins, and then nods towards Lydia and Stiles.

Lydia is grinning at the both of them, until Nixie asks, "What? Did you figure it out?" Stiles looks at her, and then asks, "Have you been here all night?" "Yes." When he looks at her like she's crazy, Nixie asks "What? Jordan doesn't get off for another hour. And until he leaves, unless you guys need me for something, I will remain here and keep everyone else away from him. Now, what did you find out?"

Stiles hands the list over to Jordan and says, "We… uh, well, we need you to run these names?" Jordan raises an eyebrow when it comes out as more of a question, so Stiles says, "We're… used to handing this stuff over to my dad. Who will then hand it over to you, since he always gets you to handle any of the stuff we bring him that pertains to our supernatural crises."

Jordan takes the paper with a nod, but then asks, "Yeah, why does he always hand this kind of stuff over to me?" Lydia smirks and says, "Because that's what Nixie always suggests. You are her favorite deputy, after all." Nixie snaps her eyes over to glare at her a bit, but Lydia just shrugs with a smirk on her face. It was also becoming apparent to Jordan that, though Nixie was terrifying to most other people, her friends were never afraid of her. Her glares didn't have the same terrifying effect on on her friends that they had on the rest of the world.

Or on him, as he recalls. Smirking a little, he looks back at the paper and says, "Give me a second to make a copy of this. Then I'll get right on it." And as he moves past Nixie to do that, he lands his hand at her waist, his thumb brushing against her hip more firmly than he had previously in the day.

Even through her shirt, Nixie's heart skips a beat, and after he's gone, she reaches down to touch that spot gingerly. Then she turns to look at Lydia, who is already leaning towards her, excitement written all over her face. Nixie rolls her eyes and asks, "What? And by the way, I'm going to kill you for that." "Oh, you most certainly won't. I've never heard a bigger lie in my life. Now, onto more important things. Oh, my, God!" Nixie frowns and asks, "What? Is there something else?"

Lydia rolls her eyes at Nixie now, and says, "I'm not talking about 'life-and-death' important. I'm talking about 'your love-life' important." When Nixie just blinks in confusion, Lydia exclaims, "He was flirting with you, dumbass. Probably has been for a while, but that's the furthest I've seen you guys go yet."

Nixie huffs and says, "You're being ridiculous. We're in the police station. He's not stupid enough…" Lydia cuts her off, "He's not stupid enough to get caught. Doesn't mean he can't flirt a little. And he was. Don't argue with me. I have more experience, and I know what it looks like."

Nixie looks over at Stiles for help, but he shrugs and says, "Look, I can't argue with her. I'm the older brother in this situation, and I suddenly have the urge to warn him that if he hurts you, I know about a thousand different ways I could kill him and get away with it." Sighing, Nixie says, "He… we just… he just touched me." Lydia grins, "I know." "Well, he's not the only one to do that! You guys touch me all the time!"

Crossing her arms, Lydia says, "Yeah, because we're friends. But no one touches your hip the way he just did. Like it was a precious jewel that he was admiring." "Lydia, he didn't…" "Yes, he did. I was watching and I know. And you know it too, that's why you reached down to touch it just now." Smiling again, she says, "You've captured his heart and he's trying to see if he can capture yours back. I love watching the two of you. It's completely adorable."

Nixie blushes deeply, but says, "I… I haven't…" Stiles wraps an arm around Lydia's shoulders and says, "I put my arm around her shoulders, and it says that we're friends. I wrap my arms around Malia's waist, hold her the way I know she likes, and it says that we're more. So yes, the man is flirting with you." Then he smiles and adds, "New as that might be for you, deal with it. Take it as a compliment. And whenever you two finally… well, figure out what you want to be, tell Jordan he'd better be prepared for the big brother speech I have prepared for him."

Nixie grins at that and asks, "You have a speech?" "Yep. Been saving it up for just this occasion." She laughs, but moves to hug him and says, "You're the best." "No, that would be you. But I do try to keep myself in a close running for second." "Oh, shut up."

Then Jordan comes back, and after handing Lydia her copy back, he starts punching the names into the system. When he's finished, he says, "Well, it's not another dead pool. It's more like an already dead pool."

Lydia moves to his left side to see, while Nixie remains looking over his right shoulder. Frowning, Lydia asks, "All of them? All dead?" Jordan nods, "Within the last ten years. All suicides. And all at the same place."

Stiles, from the other side of the desk, leans over and bends his head down so he can see the screen upside down. Jordan raises an eyebrow, but can't help grinning when Nixie laughs and says, "Easy Stiles. I would've said it out loud." "Yeah, well, color me impatient." "Interesting choice. What color stands for impatience?"

Stiles gives her a look, but then gapes at Jordan when he offers up, "Yellow is probably a safe bet." Nixie smiles wide and says, "Yellow it is." Stiles gives her a look, and then says, "For those who haven't read the location yet… it's Eichen House."

Nixie goes back to looking at the list, but then snaps her attention to Lydia when she says, "You don't have to come, Nixie." Standing up straight, Nixie says, "Oh, hell no. If you're going into that nut house, I'm going with you. That's not up for debate." Stiles looks to both of them and says, "I think we should all remember that Eichen House isn't a library. Okay? We'd need a warrant to get files from there."

Sighing, Nixie says, "He's right. And we can't take Jordan again. Not after last time." Lydia nods, but says, "Okay, I get that. But guys, my grandmother left me a list of ten suicides. Including her own. There's gotta be a reason why. I mean… is there anyone else who'd be willing to help us?"

They all think about it for a moment, and then Stiles says, "No. But… there might be someone willing to take a bribe." Nixie glances up at him, and then sighs, "Brunski." Stiles nods, and says, "He'll take a bribe, Nixie." "I do not like him. At all." "And I get that. I do. But we need to see those files." "I'm not arguing, Stiles. I'm just saying. I don't like him."

Stiles then looks to Jordan and asks, "Unless you think there might be someone else here who might help us?" Jordan shakes his head and then points his thumb at Nixie while saying, "Probably not." Lydia looks over at her, and then crosses her arms while asking, "Why?" Jordan just leans back to look at Nixie. She rolls her eyes and then points a stern finger at Jordan when he raises an eyebrow at her. Then she says to Lydia, "I've been… glaring more than usual."

Lydia tilts her head, and then nudges Jordan and asks, "Define 'more than usual'." Nixie huffs and says, "Look I…" But Jordan steps in and says, "Oh, she hasn't stopped since she got here. I'm not even sure she realizes it, but when anyone gets within three feet of my desk, she targets them until they go away."

At Lydia's smirk, Nixie says, "Okay, seriously, we don't have time for this. And you…" She points to Jordan and says, "Not helping." To Stiles, she says, "We need to go." He nods, and then taps the desk while saying, "Thanks, Jordan." Jordan nods in response, and then catches Nixie's wrist before she can follow after her friends. Looking down at him, she says, "Look, I can't let them go alone. I…" "I know. And I'm not trying to stop you." "Oh… well, okay then. Are you going to be okay by yourself? I am worried about that. But they…" Jordan nods and says, "They need you. And yes, I'll be fine. Pretty sure I can handle these guys."

Pulling her a little closer, he says softly, but no less seriously, "Please be careful." Nixie nods after a moment and says, "I will be as careful as I can be. I promise." She squeezes his shoulder for emphasis, and then heads on out the door to get her bike.

Meanwhile, Jordan goes back over the list of suicides, trying to find anything else that might be helpful. Lydia was certain that it had to mean something, and Nixie didn't seem to be arguing. So… there had to be something more he could do to help them with this.

It was growing dark again outside, when Jordan finally found the common connection. All of the people on Lydia's list, including Lorraine Martin, were all delivered to the morgue by the same person. And that was Brunski.

The same man that Stiles knew would take a bribe.

The same man that Nixie and her friends are with right now, trying to find answers.

The same man who murdered ten patients from Eichen House, and made them appear as suicides. And a man who probably wouldn't have an issue with taking out three teenagers that were getting too close to discovering the truth.

He doesn't stop to wonder how he's going to justify his presence at Eichen House this time. He grabs his gear and jacket, and rushes out to his SUV. And he's thankful for the stares Nixie has been giving people all day. Usually, when he rushed off like this, people asked him where he was going in such a hurry. But no one dared to ask him today.

Speeding up the road as fast as he can, he prays as hard as he can that he's not too late. That Nixie and her friends didn't go straight there, and maybe waited a bit to go to Eichen. He can't be too late. He just can't be.

* * *

When Nixie wakes up, it's to the sound of Lydia screaming for help. Wincing, she feels Stiles struggling on her left side. Together, they were all strapped to a support beam in the records room, bound by what Nixie thinks are the same zip-tie cuffs that cops use. Groaning a little, she hears Stiles say, "Lydia, there's a lot of people screaming for help in a place like this. I don't think anyone's listening." "Well, I'm open to better ideas. Because if you didn't notice… all of those suicides, were murders!"

Nixie winces again and says, "Please don't shout. I have a headache." Lydia turns to see her what little she can, "Nixie! Oh, thank God. I thought he killed you!" "Gonna take a lot more than his rinky-dink tazer to pull that off." Glancing around, Nixie asks, "Where's my jacket?" Stiles answers, "He took it off of you. Didn't want you trying to escape." "Great."

Lydia then says, "You heard me, right? About why my mother made the list…" Nixie nods and says, "They weren't suicides. They were murders. And she knew you'd figure it out."

And then Brusnki's voice says, "Once she was able to predict her own." Slamming the door as he comes back in, he says, "But they weren't murders. I'm not some serial killer, like Ted Bundy, going around cutting up college girls." Stiles glares and says, "No, you're just an Angel of Death." Brunski moves to get in his face, but is brought up short when Nixie hurls a lob of spit into his face. Seething at him, she says, "Stay away from my boy."

So intead, rather than argue, he gets in her face. "I don't think you understand my level of commitment to my work here. There are people here, who don't simply need treatment. They need release. I helped them. I helped Lorraine." Lydia whispers through her teeth, "You killed her." Brunski looks her way and says, "I helped her. And now, you can help me. Because there is something about it that's always bothered me."

As Brunski moves closer to her, he smirks at Nixie as she struggles to be closer to Lydia. But her hands are firmly stuck to the beam by the zip-ties. The harder she pulls at the restraints, the more she can feel that her hand won't simply be coming out. In order to come out, something else was going to have to give. And since it didn't look like the zip-tie was going to… well, it looks like it'll have to be her.

Considering the first time she'd come in on Derek and Scott fighting, and she'd ended up with a dislocated shoulder, she's alright with that. Nixie was prepared to bend, if it meant she could save her friends.

Brunski pulled out his tape player, and began playing the tape he had labeled as 'Lorraine Martin'. And though Nixie continues pulling at her hands, they all freeze in horror when they hear Lorraine's voice come over the tape. In a haze, she says, _"What are you… Brunski, what are you doing?"_ Then Brunski's voice responds, _"Don't worry Lorraine. It's going to be alright. You're just going to have a little trouble breathing."_

Stiles turns as far as he can towards Lydia, their backs to opposite sides of the pole. Gently, he says, "Lydia, try to look at me. Don't listen. Okay? Don't listen to it." Lorraine's labored breathing can be heard coming over the tape, and Nixie glares at Brunski harder than she ever has anyone else. The only person that might compete would be Haigh.

Turning and pressing the side of her head against Lydia's shoulder, Nixie says, "Focus on his voice, Lydia. Focus on Stiles. Don't listen to it. Block it out. Okay? Just…" Brunski rushes forward and slams his elbow into her gut, forcing her to grunt and lurch forward. Stiles jerks closer to her and says, "Hey! Don't!" Then he hears Lydia crying and struggling again, so he shouts, "Hey! Turn it off!"

Brunski moves and punches him in the face, which then earns him a swift and harsh kick to his kidney in the back. Groaning, he turns to find Nixie had shifted so she could kick him. Just because her hands were tied, didn't mean her legs were useless." He makes to go at her again, but Lydia screams, "Stop! Just stop!" Moving back over to her, Brunski says, "Then listen… just listen. I need your help with this, Lydia."

Lorraine's voice on the tape says, _"Please don't…"_ Brunski scoots closer and points to the tape player, saying, "Here it is. This is the part I never understood. Listen." Lorraine's voice says, _"Please don't hurt her." "Don't hurt who?" "Ariel."_

Nixie freezes at that, and turns to see Lydia calm down a bit as she realizes what this list was all about. In her last days, in her very last moments, Lorraine Martin had been doing everything in her power to try and prevent this from happening. She'd been trying to protect Lydia, her granddaughter, from what she had predicted would come.

And Lydia just looks to Brunski, who is waiting expectantly for an explanation. But she doesn't give it. She's not going to tell him anything. Brunski cracks his neck in annoyance, but then turns to Nixie when she says, "It's so frustrating, isn't it. To be so close to the answer, but not have any way to grasp it." "I could torture your little friend, Miss Haven." "Not likely. She's mine. And she's a hell of a lot tougher than you."

He launches a hard punch into Nixie's gut, making her choke and gasp for air, but she's still smirking when she looks at him again. But then Brusnki smirks and asks, "I wonder though, if she's as tough as you are? Could she handle it, you think? What you've been through?"

Nixie is sure he doesn't know what he's talking about. Or if he happens to be talking about the scar her own mother gave her, then Nixie would say he's barking up the wrong tree. That was child's play, compared to her more recent years.

But she freezes when he says, "I know more than you think, little Miss Haven. There was a patient here, who you might remember. His name was Brian Holmes." Nixie doesn't recall the name, but her entire body tenses when he says, "He didn't actually belong here, as it turns out. But he was committed here as a lunatic, by his own employer. The one and only, Gerard Argent."

Stiles and Lydia look forward at that as Brunski continues. "Oh, he raved on and on about how he couldn't understand why they'd done it. They were hunters, after all. They weren't supposed to harm humans. It went against their 'code'. He just couldn't understand why they'd kidnapped and tortured the young 'Haven' girl."

Raising a finger, he says, "Now, that name rang a bell with me. But it had been so long, I'd forgotten that you had to change your last name. It took me a while to figure out he was talking about you. But once I did, I made him my friend, and I got the whole story. About how Gerard had gone after a boy named Stiles, to try and hurt him and use him as leverage. But this young girl got in their way, so they had to take her instead."

Brunski smirks. "Oh, she was just as much of a catch as Stiles would've been. She was just as important to her little pack, so it worked out well. They threw her into a basement, and waited until she attempted to free her two friends that were trapped down there. Then they strapped her down to a table, and it began."

Leaning in closer, he says, "Holmes says Gerard was out of his mind. He was desperate and crazy. He took a knife, and he carved into this girl's chest, a wound that should've caused her more immense pain than anything she'd ever felt. But she never screamed. She never said a word. She just grit her teeth, and she glared at them as best she could. So then… Gerard took on a new tactic. He had her electrocuted, with one of these."

He holds up his tazer and says, "One with a lot more voltage. But he shocked her, and shocked her, and continued to do so, until she finally went unconscious from the pain. But she still… never… screamed. She never begged for mercy. She never gave the man any satisfaction in what he was doing to her."

Brunski snaps his tazer to life and jams it into her side, in the same place that Gerard had gotten someone to do it once before, in her freshman year. And Nixie still didn't scream. Her body tensed and jerked, but she didn't scream.

Brusnki wasn't trying to put her out though. He knew from earlier, that it would take more than that. When he'd incapacitated them earlier, he'd taken out Nixie first, knowing she would be the hard one. But it took far longer than he'd thought. He held it there for ten seconds, and when she had still come at him, he'd thrust it at her again and held it there until she finally just collapsed to the floor.

Pulling it away from her now, watching as she glares at him again, he says, "It took even longer to get Holmes to admit your full name. He was so ashamed of what he'd done, that he felt revealing who you were was almost a blasphemy. But he finally told me."

Pointing to her face, he says, "I am going to take great pleasure, in what comes next."

As he walks away, Stiles turns as far as he can and asks, "Nixie, what was he talking about?" "He's crazy, Stiles." "Bullshit." Lydia turns to her too and asks, "Is it another one? Another one of the scars, I mean?" Nixie gives her a look, and then sighs when Stiles exclaims, "Scars! As in, more than one already?!"

Then Brunski comes back, saying, "We get a lot of teenagers trying to break into our drug cabinets. Most of the time, they don't succeed. But you three… well, you look pretty clever to me." Nixie glares at him further while Stiles says, "Um… yeah, we're not that clever. You really do give us too much credit."

Smirking, Brunski looks over at him and says, "I'll admit, Stiles. I don't have any unusual talents, like Lydia. But… somehow, I just knew we were gonna get a chance to do this again." Then he looks to Nixie and says, "And as much as I'll enjoy killing you, I am going to miss being able to learn what you were supposed to become."

Nixie doesn't even flinch at his threat. She just glares at him, feeling a small amount of pride when his smile slips as he continues looking at her. And as he loads his needle with whatever drug he's chosen, Nixie can feel her wrist slipping a bit from the restraints. She just needed a bit more time… a bit more of a push.

And that push came, when Brunski didn't go for her first. No… he went after Lydia. And Brusnki, fool that he was, didn't understand that the sudden plummeting temperature of the room was a warning for him to quit while he was ahead. No, the bastard still just goes for Lydia, needle prepared to go into her neck, and he chuckles as Stiles struggles and screams, "No! No! No!" Brunski is about half an inch from her neck, when Nixie lets out a pained scream from behind her teeth. She can feel her wrist dislocate, hears it pop loudly in the room, and is then immediately moving. With more freedom, she swings herself around enough to kick Brunski square in the jaw.

With him backed up, Nixie spins herself enough so she is straddling Lydia, covering her as much as she can with herself. She tugs at her right wrist, whimpering when she can't force it loose like she had her other. She can hear Brunski moving again, scrambling to pick up his dropped needle. Bringing herself closer to Lydia, cutting off access to her, Nixie turns her gaze back to Brunski.

He'd been coming back, but draws up short when he meets her gaze. And Nixie can hear and feel the change in her own voice, when she says, "If you want her you will have to kill me first, you bastard!"

It was different… raspy and rougher than usual. Nixie has no idea what happened to bring out more of what she was at this point, but she is grateful for the extended period of time she has to tug at her right wrist.

Her powers of intimidation do have their limits though. Brunski stares at her, and what had been her glowing eyes, for a moment more. But as they glow dies down, he smirks and says, "Very well." And at the same moment when he comes forward again, Nixie feels her other wrist pop as it finally slips from the restraints.

Brunski, more alert this time, leans back from her sudden blow, and then lunges at her. Lydia screams as Nixie is thrown into a nearby wall, and then Brunski throws himself at her, landing on top of her on the ground. He winces when she brings her leg up behind him, hard, stinging his back with the blow.

Her wrists throb in pain, and her hands aren't completely cooperating with her anymore, which gives Brunski the upper hand. Holding her head to the side, grunting when she manages to punch him in the gut as hard as she can, he then jams his needle into her throat. In her ear, he hisses, "Say goodbye, Nixie Bennett."

Nixie can hear Stiles struggling and cursing. She hears Lydia scream, "NIXIE!" She struggles under the weight of this man, trying to shove him off and stop this.

Then she hears his wonderful voice say, "Drop it!" Closing her eyes, she whispers in relief, "Jordan." Brunski glances down at her again, and then looks up at Jordan, who says, "Take your thumb off that needle, and slowly withdraw it from her neck." Scowling up at him, Brunski says, "Young deputy. You're just a kid yourself. I bet you've never even fired a…"

And as Brunski makes to press down on the needle, Jordan double taps him in the chest, sending him falling to the side. Still half on top of Nixie, she winces under his weight as she tries to shove him off with her throbbing hands.

She'd no sooner started though, when Jordan grabbed the man by the back of his shirt and tossed him to the side. Bending down to her, he pulls the needle from the side of her neck, checking to make sure nothing was injected into her. Then he grabs her arm to haul her into a sitting position. "Are you alright?"

Nixie nods and says, "Lydia and Stiles. Please. Please get them." "Nixie, are you hurt?" "I'm fine. Please!" Jordan stares at her a moment more, and then presses a kiss to her forehead before leaning her back against the wall behind her. Then he moves to cut Lydia and Stiles from their restraints.

Lydia looks up at him and says, "He killed my grandmother." And as she rushes over to Nixie, she adds, "He was controlling Meredith." Stiles takes Jordan's offered hand, and as he stands, he says, "He used her to create the dead pool." Over with Nixie, Lydia says, "And killed her when she tried to help us."

Cupping Nixie's face in her hands, Lydia says, "He almost killed you." "But he didn't." Looking up at Jordan, who is standing next to Stiles over them, Nixie says, "Thank you." He bends down to her with Lydia, and then asks, "How did you get out?" Nixie winces a bit, still trying to catch her breath. Then she just points at Stiles, who says for her, "I'm pretty sure the popping I heard was her wrists dislocating. That's how she got out."

Jordan reaches gently for her hands, and when she nods to him, he carefully twists and sets everything right again. Nixie gives a short cry of discomfort from behind clenched lips at first, but then relaxes and sighs in relief again. Then she reaches up to cup Lydia's face in her hands. Carefully brushing some of Lydia's hair away, Nixie sighs again and says, "You're alright."

Lydia just stares at her and says, "Nixie, he nearly killed you first." "But he went for you, initially." "And you stopped him. Stop worrying about me." Nixie lets out a scoffing laugh and says, "Okay, yeah, sure. Like that's actually gonna happen."

Stiles rolls his eyes and says, "Well, she certainly sounds okay to me." Nixie grins up at him, and then laughs when Stiles says to Jordan, "And you? Yeah, we're definitely keeping you." Jordan offers a small chuckle, and then jerks upright when Brunski suddenly laughs and coughs up a bit of blood. Choking a bit, he says, "You… you think you're safe? You think it's over?"

He looks up at Nixie and says, "You think that all this was me? That I was controlling her? You're all idiots. She… she was controlling me."

And Nixie figures she should feel something more, simply as a fellow human being, when she watches Brunski draw his last breath and the life leave his eyes. But she doesn't. He had been about to kill Lydia. He would've killed Stiles right after. And he'd tried to kill her mother too. So no… Nixie does not feel any remorse or sorrow over this man's death.

Besides. She apparently isn't entirely human, anyway.

Then Lydia gasps from beside her and says, "Oh, God. It's not him. He's not the Benefactor." And then a woman's voice from within the room says, "No. And… he wasn't on my list. But he was a bad person." Nixie stands up rapidly, keeping Lydia behind her, and stares in shock as Meredith comes out from behind some shelves. Completely and utterly alive.

Meredith, was the Benefactor? Nixie frowns deeply, and when Stiles looks over to see her confusion, he asks, "What? What's wrong? Nix…" She just shakes her head slightly and says, "I… I don't understand. It… doesn't make any sense." Lydia puts a hand on her shoulder and says, "No, it does. She was…" "No, Lydia. I got that. Logically it makes sense. I'm not talking about that."

Frowning, Lydia asks, "Then what?" "I… I don't feel any different about her. I… never have." Stiles ponders that a moment, and then says, "You mean your sixth sense. It… it never changed?" "No. Not in the slightest. I… I don't understand."

Meredith looks over at her, and then even has the audacity to smile before she opens her arms out to Nixie, as though waiting for a hug. Apparently, she thought they were customary of any visit with Nixie.

Lydia's hand on Nixie's shoulder suddenly turns cold, so she has to remove it. And she doesn't try to stop Nixie when she moves towards Meredith. She does gasp though, when Nixie punches the other banshee as hard as she can in the face.

Shouting in surprise, Meredith hits the floor hard, and then looks up in shock. But Nixie just glares at her, and in the same raspy voice from before, she says, "Do not ever come near me again." Her entire body trembles with the effort it takes to back up after that. And Jordan doesn't miss how Stiles and Lydia both start shivering at the dropping temperature in the room.

Then Nixie turns towards Jordan and asks, "Can you arrest her?" Jordan nods and brings out his cuffs so he can do that. Lydia and Stiles then help Nixie find the tape player, and her jacket from where Brunski had tossed it. Then, as Jordan takes Meredith out to his car, the others head back to Brunski's office to collect the rest of his tapes.

As they load everything into the trunk of his vehicle, Nixie then looks over at Stiles. Pointing to his head, she says, "You need to go to the hospital. You might have a concussion. He clocked you pretty hard."

He stares at her for a moment, and then flails his arms dramatically. "Nixie, I know you are not talking about me being hurt right now! He hit you three times, compared to my one! He tazed you, again, for God's sake! He plunged a needle full of drugs into your neck and nearly killed you! And you dislocated both of your wrists in the process of escaping! But I'm the one that needs to go to the hospital?!"

Nixie gives him a look, and then grins a little while adding, "I'm tougher than you." Stiles lets his mouth drop open, but then he says, "Yeah, I'm starting to get that impression. What the hell was he talking about in there? About Holmes and what Gerard did to you the night he kidnapped you instead of me? You told us he roughed you up a bit. You did not mention being electrocuted and carved into. I would most definitely have remembered that." "Stiles…" "No, Nixie. What the hell was he…"

Lydia puts a hand to his chest and says, "Easy, Stiles. Easy." He glances at her, then back at Nixie. And after a moment, he finally sighs and says, "After we figure this out. After we've saved everyone and gotten back into a routine. You are going to explain this to me. And anything else you've been keeping from me."

Nixie nods willingly to that. It's not like Lydia wasn't already going to make her. Stiles then moves in to hug her tight. Sighing, he says, "Please don't ever do that again." "Do what, exactly?" "Nearly get killed. I know you talk about not being able to lose us. And I know what losing Alison did to you. But Nixie… I can't lose you either. Do you understand that?"

She nods against him, and then kisses him on the cheek before saying, "Go. Get checked out. Lydia? You'll take him?" Lydia nods, and after giving Nixie a final tight hug, she heads off with Stiles.

Jordan shuts the trunk of his car, and then gently pulls Nixie by her elbow so she'll lean back against it. Moving to stand in front of her, taking her hands in his, he sighs and then says softly, "I'm pretty sure I told you to be careful."

His smile takes any reprimand out of the words he just said, and Nixie smiles a little back before saying, "I tried. I was as careful as I could be. It just… wasn't enough." He nods, and then says, "I… didn't see the whole thing. It took me longer than I'd like to pick the lock. But… I saw you jump over Lydia. I saw you throw yourself onto her, and I heard you tell Brunski that he'd have to kill you first."

Nixie nods, and then says, "I… didn't intend to actually let him. I didn't realize my hands would be so uncooperative when I dislocated my wrists. Not exactly something I do on a regular basis, you know." Jordan laughs a bit, but it also gets a bit stuck in his throat. Nixie then adds, seriously, "I was protecting my friend. I will always protect my friends, in whatever way I can. I would die for them, if it comes down to it, and if I have that choice."

Bending down a little so she can catch his eye, she says, "You do understand that, don't you? I don't just say that to be dramatic. I mean it." He nods, and then says, "I just… I hate what almost happened to you. I mean… what if I hadn't shown up? What if he'd killed you? What then?"

Nixie sighs and says, "I don't know, Jordan. I told you, I didn't intend to let him have the upper hand. I…" "I know, I know. I… don't mean to berate you. That's not what I'm trying to do." Nixie nods, and then lets out a shaky breath while saying, "He almost did though. He almost killed them. And I…"

Jordan draws her into his arms, rubbing a soothing hand up and down her back. She shakes a little as she cries silently against his chest. Kissing the top of her head, he says, "I'm glad you're okay." She nods, and then says, "Thank you for finding us." And this time, rather than his usual response, he says, "Always, Nixie. I will always find you."

She leans back to look at him, tilting her head at the new response. She smiles though, and then says, "Um… I'll follow you back to the station." "You can ride with me. I'll bring you back for your bike." But as Nixie glances at Meredith's silhouette in the back, she says, "No. No, I can't… be in the same car as her. I'll kill her." Jordan nods understandingly, and then glances up at the rain that had suddenly begun pouring.

Nixie glances up too, and then sighs as it lands on her skin. "I love the rain." Jordan smiles at her, and then they both glance at her phone when it goes off. Pulling it out, she answers, "Yeah?" "Nixie, it's Kira." "Hey Kira! How's your mom?" "Good. She's healing. Listen, I don't mean to be abrupt, but I need help." "Where are you?" "I'm at the school right now. Scott and the rest of us are trying to gather up the others still on the list. He, Malia, and Liam were almost killed tonight, and we need to stick together for safety."

Nixie's first question is, "What?! What happened to Scott?" "I'll explain later. Right now, I need help." "Alright. Where do you need me to go, and who am I getting?" "The high school. I can find Brett on my own, but his sister had to separate from him, and I can't find her. Can you…" "I'm on my way. Be there in ten. I will find her. Make sure Brett knows that." "Will do. And Nixie? Be careful." "Likewise, Kira. Likewise."

Hanging up, Nixie looks to Jordan again. Then she says, "Well… I guess it's obvious I'm not following you." He nods, and then asks, "You coming later?" "Oh absolutely. Because there is no way in hell Lydia is going near this bitch again, unless I'm there." Jordan raises an eyebrow at that, but doesn't argue. Instead, he walks with her to where her bike is. And before she slips her helmet on, he wraps her in another tight hug and says, "Be careful." "As careful as I can be."

He grins at that response, and then nods to her before she speeds off down the road again. And as she speeds off into the rain, mentally preparing for whatever she might end up facing while going after Lori, Nixie sighs. Because as long as this day has already been… it looked as though they were still going to be in for an exceptionally long night.

Here's hoping they survive it.

* * *

And that's Chapter 9! :)


	11. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: "I do not own Teen Wolf. The show, the characters, and any quotes from the show belong to Jeff Davis and his amazing team of writers. I only own Nixie, and anything I make her do or say."

* * *

Chapter 10: Episode 4x10

"I am completely and totally fine!" But as Stiles tries to go back out the door, Melissa quickly blocks his path. "Uh, uh, uh… you completely and totally have a concussion, Stiles. Lie back down. The doctor said you're not leaving without a CT scan." Stiles throws up his hands and says, "We still haven't paid for the last one!"

Stopping him again, Melissa sighs, "Look. Meredith is at the station. Your dad said it could take some time, but he will get her to talk. Stiles… even if I let you go, what would you do?" Stiles grits his teeth for a moment, but then says, "Fine." Sitting back down on the bed, clenching his hands together, he looks back at Melissa and asks, "Can I have two favors though?" "Anything, Stiles. Anything."

Turning back to her, he says, "Can you get me a tape player?" Melissa tilts her head, "Like cassettes?" "Yeah. Tapes." Melissa grins and shakes her head before saying, "Yeah. Yeah, I'll see what I can do. And… what's the other one?"

Stiles takes a breath, and then asks, "Do you know where Nixie is?" Melissa nods, "Scott told me that she was on the hunt for Lori, Brett Talbot's younger sister." Dropping his head, Stiles runs a hand over his face and says, "She shouldn't be out there."

Melissa frowns and says, "Stiles, why not? Nixie's actually the only one of you guys that has been trained by a hunter. If anyone's going to find Lori in all this rain, it's her. Isn't it?" "Maybe." Coming to sit beside him, Melissa asks gently, "What's wrong? Why the sudden worry?"

He looks up at her. "It's not a sudden worry. I'm always worried. But I just… I just figured out that maybe I've never been as worried as I should've been." When Melissa gives him a confused expression, he turns to her and says, "I… while we were with Brunski, he told us a story. The story of the night I was supposed to be kidnapped by Gerard. Brunski knows what happened. One of Gerard's men ended up getting sent to Eichen."

Shaking his head, Stiles says, "And the story he told us… about what really happened to Nixie that night. I… I can't… She told us she'd been roughed up. Knocked unconscious. But if Brunski was completely telling the truth, and I actually think he was…"

Looking to Melissa again, Stiles says, "They cut into her, Melissa. The cut into her chest in a way that Brunski said should've cause her the most pain. And when she didn't scream or anything, they started shocking her until she finally went unconscious." Melissa's eyes are wide and Stiles adds, "And I can't… I mean, Lydia asked if that was one of her scars. One of them! As in, that's not her only one. As in, there are many more that Nixie never told anyone about. And now she's out there again, and she…"

Melissa wraps an arm around him and says, "If I thought she'd listen, I'd call her and tell her to get her ass in here, right now. I would, Stiles. But you and I both know, she's not built that way. She needs to be out there, trying to protect the people that matter to her. And… in part… I guess her trying to protect us, involves not showing us what has happened to her when she gets hurt. You haven't even seen them yet, and look how devastated you are."

Stiles ponders that for a bit, not having considered it before. Then he looks over at Melissa again. Smiling, Melissa says, "She never wants to cause you guys pain. Well, aside from the occasional head slaps." "Occasional?" Laughing, Melissa says, "Point is… let's go a little easy on her. We can't let her keep doing that. Not by any means. But… we can try to understand, why she didn't show us before. Okay?" Stiles nods, "Yeah. Okay."

Melissa stands up to go and get him the tape… I mean, cassette player, and then turns back to him and says, "And by the way, Nixie already had several other words with the representative of you and your dad's insurance policy. The first CT scan is paid for."

Stiles chuckles after she leaves the room. Running a hand through his hair, he sighs and mutters, "Ah, Nixie. Where are you now?"

* * *

Rain pouring down around her, Nixie tilts her head as she hears Kira shout from nearby, "Brett, run!"

The lacrosse field. So that's where Brett was. And from the sound of Kira's katana slicing through arrows in the night, Nixie can tell that she has him handled. Which left Lori up to her.

Werewolves were fast and good at hiding, for the most part. So Nixie didn't start off trying to find the young girl in all of this. She started off trying to find the people after her. And that was definitely a good place to start, since she soon saw two men dressed in solid black, sneaking around the buses parked in the back of the school.

Lori was cornered, one man at her back, and two at her front. She had nowhere else to go. She can only hope that Brett had better luck than she did.

That's when a motorcycle speeds up behind her. Nixie turns it sharply at a one-eighty, spinning around so the bike blocks Lori at the front, and she throws a dagger at the man who was at Lori's back. Catching him in the shoulder, Nixie watches him go down, and then slides off her bike just in time to avoid the first volley of arrows. Pushing Lori closer to the ground, Nixie says, "Stay here."

Then she leaps over the side of her bike and charges the other two men.

They definitely had not been prepared for that. Hurriedly trying to reload their arrows, one of them never even has a chance. Nixie slips the helmet off her head and swings it around to clock him in the side of the head. She actually cracks the face mask portion of the helmet from how hard she hit him. Then she turns to the other man, and moves to the side just in time to avoid an arrow to the shoulder. It skims the side of her left bicep instead. Giving the man a look, she says, "Hey!"

He actually does freeze at the annoyed tone in her voice. Gesturing towards her jacket, which is torn yet again, she says, "This thing is expensive." Then the hurries forward. Kicking off the nearby bus for leverage, she flips around in the air, swinging her leg as hard as she can, and knocking the man in the jaw. Nixie is pretty sure she hears something crack from the impact.

And all she can bring herself to think about that is… good.

Grabbing her helmet from the ground, she hurries back to her bike. Finding Lori still unharmed, she then hurries towards the other man that had been behind Lori. She yanks her dagger out of his shoulder, and then kicks him hard in the face to knock him out too.

Back to Lori, climbing onto her bike again, she says, "Hop on." When Lori doesn't, Nixie turns to look at her. The girl was still frozen in fear, not completely understanding what had just happened. Gentling her tone, Nixie says, "Look, I know you're terrified, and I don't blame you. I know you've never seen me, so why should you trust me. But I don't have time to prove to you that I'm not like them. So you need to make a decision. Do you trust me to get you to the clinic? Or do you try and get there yourself?"

Lori stares at her for a moment, and then asks, "What's your name?" "Nixie Haven." And Lori relaxes immediately and says, "Satomi said we could trust you." "Good. Then get on the bike and put the helmet on. And put this on. You look like you're about to freeze." When Nixie hands over her jacket and the helmet, Lori looks at her and asks, "Aren't you cold too?" "Yeah. But that's nothing new. Just hurry up, before someone else comes out here. Someone with more experience than these losers."

Lori doesn't waste any more time after that. And as soon as she's on the bike, Nixie says, "Hold on to me. And no matter what happens, or what you think is about to happen, do not let go of me. Understand?" Lori nods against her back, and then clutches tighter when Nixie immediately begins speeding away.

And as new arrows begin flying at them in the night, Nixie can't help but sigh. It was going to be a while yet, before she could get Lori to the clinic safely. But, she had a full tank of gas, and a need for speed that terrified even the people who knew her best. She would get it done.

* * *

As Scott runs into the clinic, Kira comes out from the backroom and smiles wide upon finally seeing him again. They rush up to each other, and before they try to say anything, just hold each other and come together in a desperate kiss. Leaning back from her, a look of concern taking over his face, Scott asks, "Is your mom…" Kira nods, "She's okay. Healing." "What about you?" Blinking, Kira asks, "Me?"

Scott nods earnestly, and asks, "Are you okay?" Smiling, Kira answers, "Right now? Very." He smiles at that, and then kisses her again, gentler than before.

When they pull apart again, Scott gets down to business and asks, "Did you find him? Did you find Brett?" Nodding, she says, "Actually, I think I found almost all of them." Taking his hand, she guides him into the backroom. To the other alpha in the room, Kira says, "Satomi, this is who I was telling you about." Turning her head around to see, glowing her red eyes, Satomi smiles gently and says, "I know who Scott McCall is."

Scott nods to her, and then looks around at everyone else. Then he looks over at Brett, who asks Kira, "Did you find her?" Kira shakes her head and says, "No, Brett. I'm sorry, I tried. But I called Nixie, and she's…"

Brett is running a hand through his hair, contemplating running back out there to try and find his sister. That's when the back door of the clinic is banged on. Deaton unlocks it, and then smiles and says, "Kira. We have them."

And in walks Nixie, drenched and soaked to the bone. Nixie hair bow had long since broken, so her hair was hanging down in wet strands along the sides of her face, some sticking to her neck in places, and water continuously dripping and landing on her body. Lori, on the other hand, was as dry as she could be. The helmet and jacket that Nixie her wearing had protected her from the rain, at least on her torso.

Nixie looks around at everyone in the room, and then asks Kira, "Do we have everyone?" Kira beams at her and says, "We do now. What took you so long?" Raising an eyebrow, Nixie says, "Apparently my powers of intimidation don't work when I'm driving my bike over a hundred miles per hour down the road. I had to get away from them before I brought Lori here."

To Lori, Nixie gestures towards Brett and says, "There he is." Lori smiles and then sprints across the room to her brother. As they hold each other tight, Nixie asks, "What's next?" Scott is about to answer, when Satomi moves up beside them. Looking over Nixie, Satomi says, "So you are Nixie Haven." Nixie nods, and then tilts her head and asks, "Does that make you Satomi?" "It does."

Satomi jumps in surprise when Nixie wraps her up in a hug. Squeezing the woman tight, Nixie says, "Really glad you're okay." Then she lets go, and bows her head a bit in a sign of respect to the other alpha in the room.

Then she turns back to her alpha and asks, "What next?" "We need to get them somewhere safe." "Right." Then Scott adds, "And I need you with Lydia. She can't be at the station with Meredith by herself. And between the two of you, I need you guys to figure out how this is still happening so we can stop it."

Nodding, Nixie is about to leave, until Scott says a bit louder, "And then we are going to talk, Nixie." Frowning, coming back to him, she tilts her head and says, "We always talk." He gives her a look, and then says, "Lydia and Stiles have both called to talk to me. I know what happened at Eichen. More to the point, I know the story Brunski told while you were down there."

Nixie, for a moment, ponders how to get out of this current conversation for now. But, then she remembers she's in a room full of werewolves who can hear her heartbeat. So finally, she shrugs and says, "Fine." Scott raises an eyebrow, "Fine? That's it?" "What else do you want me to say? You apparently aren't going to give me a choice."

Coming up to her, he asks, "And you dislocated both wrists tonight?" "I had to get out to protect Lydia. I'm fine now. Jordan fixed them." "Nixie, you're hurt." He reaches out for her hand, stealing some of her pain for emphasis. And as it runs up his entire arm, the rest of the room either gasps or leans forward in astonishment. Nixie scowls and says, "I am fine."

Scott shakes his head, "I can feel it, Nixie. You're hurt." "Just because you think it hurts like hell, doesn't mean I agree. I have a high-tolerance for pain. I am…" "You were kidnapped by Gerard, had a wound carved into your chest, and were electrocuted to the point of unconsciousness. You might be fine now, but you were not fine before. And you should've told me."

Nixie stares at him for a long moment, and then sighs. Coming closer, wrapping him in a hug, she says, "Look, I promised no more secrets, and I meant it. But not right now. We need to figure this out. We need to stop this." Leaning back, she adds, "And then you have to give me time to make sure we aren't all going to fail our classes because of what we've been dealing with this year."

Scott grins a little at that, and then nods and says, "Fine. But we will talk, Nixie. Promise me that." "I promise." "Good. Go help Lydia. I'll keep you posted." "Got it."

As she's about to leave, Lori shouts, "Wait!" Hurriedly taking off the jacket, Lori tries to hand it back. And Nixie does take it for a moment, removing two daggers from the sleeves and slipping them into the back of her pants. Then she slips it back over Lori.

Taking Lori's hand, she shows her where to press a small button that exists in the sleeve. And once pushed, a sharp blade protrudes rapidly from the sleeve. Pushing it again retracts it. Then Nixie smiles at Lori and says, "Give em' hell. Besides, you need this more than I do tonight."

With a final nod to everyone, she heads back out the door. The sun is beginning to peak over the horizon as she cranks up her bike. Sighing tiredly, she tells herself, "Just a little while longer." And with the rain still falling down, she makes her way as fast as she can towards the station.

* * *

Lydia jumps a little, waking up as the door to Noah's office is shut again. He looks down at her, and then says, "I thought I told you to go home." Glancing at him, she says tiredly, "I thought I would you I wasn't going anywhere." Noah gives a short chuckle at that. Lydia glances back into the room, where Meredith is still sitting. Then she asks, "Did they get anything out of her?"

Noah sighs, "Should've gone with the medium."

Jordan walks into the room then, having gone back to Brunski's office with more deputies to do a more thorough search of the room. He supposes he should've known they didn't need to though. Nixie had already gone through it, so there wouldn't be anything else to find. Still, as Noah and Lydia stand up as he arrives, he tells them, "We went through everything in Brunski's office again. So far, everything amounts to pretty much nothing.

Then he looks over at Lydia. Looking her up and down, finding her still in the same outfit she'd been wearing when he found them last night, he asks, "Did you not go home yet?" She gives him a look and replies, "Not until Meredith starts talking." Jordan then mentions, "But Nixie's gone home by now. Surely you can…"

Lydia tilts her head at him and asks, "You think Nixie went home?" Jordan ponders that for a moment, and then sighs and says, "She said she was coming here after she helped Kira. I figured she was maybe with them, asleep or something. You guys need sleep." Lydia rolls her eyes and says, "If Nixie said she was coming here, then she's coming here. And if she hasn't gotten here yet, then that means she didn't finish what she was trying to do yet. Last I heard, she was trying to protect and save a young werewolf named Lori."

Noah blinks and asks, "So she's been out all night?" "Seriously? Why are you so surprised? It's Nixie we're talking about." Sighing, Noah puts a hand on her shoulder and says, "Lydia, look, go home. And take Nixie home too. You both need to get some rest. Meredith will talk, I promise. And when she does, I'll let you know. Trust me on this. Everybody talks eventually."

Lydia pounces on the opportunity to bring it up again, and says "Then let me try." Noah exclaims, "No, we've already discussed this!" "I've gotten through to her before. Just let me try."

Noah is about to argue with her further, when the door behind them opens up. And his mouth drops open at Nixie's appearance when she walks into the room. Soaked to the bone, hair and clothes dripping, she still walks up to them as though it were any other normal day.

Well… any other normal day in Beacon Hills.

Coming up to them, she asks, "Well… what has she said?" Lydia looks her up and down, and says, "Nixie… you're soaking wet." "Well, yeah. In case you haven't noticed, it's raining." Holding up a hand to stop all other comments, she says, "Please stay on point. What has Meredith said?" Lydia sighs, "Nothing yet." Pinching the bridge of her nose, Nixie then asks, "And you've tried talking to her?" "No, actually. Noah won't let me."

Snapping her gaze over to him, Nixie exclaims, "Why not?!" His first response is, "Nixie… you're bleeding." "I've spent the entire night being shot at. I got hit once. I'd call that a success. It's a graze, I'll through a band-aid on it later." "And like Lydia says, you're soaking wet." "And like I said to her, it's been raining."

She gives them all a look, like they're being completely ridiculous, and then says, "Lydia needs to talk to Meredith." "Nixie…" Putting a hand on his shoulder, she says, "Look, I get it. Meredith's a criminal mastermind, on some level. Sending anyone in to talk to her is dangerous. That being said, I wasn't exaggerating. I just spent the entirety of my night breaking the speed limit, dodging arrows and bullets, trying to get one girl to safety without being followed."

Noah looks into her earnest eyes as she says, "We do not have time to wait for whatever random specialist might be able to make her talk. If Lydia thinks she can, then we need to let her try. We are running out of time." He stares a moment longer, and then sighs and says, "Fine. But she is not going in there alone." "Well, obviously. I thought that was a given." Turning to Lydia, Nixie asks, "You ready?" "Yeah. But… don't you want to…" "I want a lot of things. Firstly, we need to stop the dead pool. Then I'm going to take a scolding hot shower, finish all my homework from the past few weeks, and then I'm going to sleep for a week straight. Seriously, no one disturb me."

And in spite of everything, Noah chuckles, and then looks over at Jordan. Then back to Nixie, he says, "Listen. I'll go in with Lydia. You let Jordan take a look at your arm." And as he turns, he whispers to Jordan, "And see if you can get her to drink some coffee."

Jordan nods, and as Noah takes Lydia inside, he gently grips Nixie's elbow and says, "Hey. Come on." Looking up at him, Nixie nods, and then allows him to lead her back into the break room. Locking the door behind them, Jordan then notices the two daggers she's slid into the back of her pants. Tilting his head, he asks, "Where is your jacket?" "I left it with Lori. Figured they'll need it more than I will."

He searches briefly for the medical supplies they always have in here, and then helps her remove the button up shirt she'd been wearing over her tank top. As he tends to her arm, he glances over at the rest of her. Her tank top was sticking to her everywhere, and this one didn't help to cover the injuries she was so used to hiding. Not that having them on display mattered. She was still as beautiful as ever. Even with rain still dripping from her hair. Droplets running down her skin, leaving trails beyond where his eyes could follow.

Lord help him. They seriously needed to have a talk about… well, all of this.

After getting the bleeding to stop, he says, "Wait here for a moment." He runs out to his locker for a moment, searching for another spare shirt. He also makes a mental note to restock his locker. Between the shirts he'd already lent to Nixie, and the outfit he'd had to take after being burnt alive, he was running low on spare clothes. But he does manage to find another dark-gray t-shirt.

Coming back into the room, he hands her the shirt and says, "Here. You should put this on. Don't want you getting sick." Nodding, she watches as he turns around for her privacy while she changes. The man had already seen more than this much of her before, but he was still trying to be courteous at this point.

When her hand finally lands on his shoulder, he turns to her and asks, "Are you really alright?" "Yeah. Promise. You should definitely see the other guys. I don't mean to brag, but I totally kicked their asses." Jordan chuckles, and then jumps a little in surprise when Nixie wraps her arms around him tightly. Hugging her back, he asks, "And what's this for?" "I'm not sure I ever really said thank you." "You have. Several times." "Yeah, well, you probably deserve another one anyway. So thank you, Jordan." "Always, Nixie."

Leaning back from him, she says, "You changed it. The thing you always say when I say thank you. Why?" Jordan shakes his head at that, and then says, "It… feels more accurate, I guess. Not just any time you think you need me. Always." Nixie smiles, though she ducks her head to hide her blush. Grinning, he then gestures to her arm and says, "Here. Let me finish with that." "Oh, I'm fine." "Maybe. But it is more than just a scratch. Let me stitch it up."

While he works, Nixie watches his face, his hands, and his stance. He was too close again. Not that him being close was actually a bad thing. She wanted him close. She wanted him as close as he could possible get. She wanted to touch him; and not just in a hug. She wanted to run her hands over him.

She wanted to kiss him. She found herself wanting that more and more by the second. And in that sense, this was bad. She couldn't do that. They were in the sheriff's station, for Pete's sake.

But Jordan isn't oblivious to her trying to get away. With every inch closer he comes, she seems to try and lean further away. So when he's finished, he braces one hand on the counter behind her, blocking her path to leave. Looking up at him, she asks, "What is it? I…" He raises an eyebrow and says, "Nixie, I'm standing, literally, not even an inch away from you. It's not hard to tell that you are practically ready to sprint away from me."

She gives him a look and says, "I'm not afraid of you." "Are you sure?" "Oh my God, yes! Seriously?!" Jordan shrugs, so Nixie huffs and says, "You are not scary, Jordan. Brunski was kind of scary, because he was a threat, and he would've killed my friends. Kate is scary, because she's a psychotic bitch, and now a were-jaguar. Peter is…" She takes a moment to think about that, and then says, "Peter is his own level of demented, scary, and evil. That's what Peter is."

Jordan grins a bit at that, and then steps closer to her. Nixie tries to back up, but she's already against the counter. She has nowhere else to go. And as Jordan boxes her in, she can't move to either side to get away from him either. Lifting his hand gently, running his fingers gently up her neck and then through some of her wet hair, he asks, "And what does that make me, exactly?"

The blush rushed into her cheeks immediately, her head ducking down. But when she looks up at him again, her eyes widen at the small smirk playing at his lips. "Oh my God! What now?!" He chuckles at her, and then grips her arms when she squirms. Huffing, he says, "Stop, trying to get away from me." "Stop crowding me!" "Oh, like you never do."

She still squirms, until she feels his hands find her hips. Hands squeezing gently, he says, "Stop. Or I will take a minute to figure out just how sensitive this spot is." "I will scream. I am not joking." But the look he gives her says that he doesn't believe her. Not for a minute.

And then she bites her lip again, and Jordan lets out a long breath before asking, "So… if I'm not scary, what am I, Nixie?" She looks up at him again, and then reaches up a hand to touch his chest. "You're… Jordan." Sliding her hand higher, she says, "You're a good man. And you are no danger to me and my friends. You walked up to me after being nearly burned alive, covered in soot and ash, a blank look in your eyes… and I still knew you would never hurt me. Even if you, maybe, weren't entirely there. I knew you would never hurt me."

Her hand slides to the side of his neck as she says, "You're good, and patient. You put up with me and my glaring eyes, which is amazing. And… maybe it was annoying at first, but you don't just roll over and do what I say if you don't agree with it. Like I said… it's as admirable as it is infuriating. And I… I seriously don't know what we would've done at this point, if you weren't on our side… even if you technically didn't know what that side consisted of entirely, until yesterday."

Jordan chuckles at that, and then closes his eyes when her hand slides up further running through some of the hair at the back of his head. Opening his eyes to look at her, he asks, "Is that all?" Her hand stops moving for a moment, and then she concedes with a blush, "N… No. I… I don't…"

He was leaning in closer, them being at the station completely ignored at this point. Nixie felt her heart racing in her chest, her eyes slipping closed as Jordan came in closer. His nose just barely touched the tip of hers, and her hand was gripping the back of his head tightly, preparing for what she wanted so desperately at this point.

That's when a rapid knock came at the door. Both of them snapped their heads up to see Lydia standing at the door. She gestures behind her frantically, and Jordan lets out a breath of annoyance before taking a step back from Nixie. Her hand falls back to her side, and she struggles to catch her breath, looking as though she'd been running a marathon a moment ago. Jordan can't help chuckling at her, and then he shrugs when she fixes him with a narrowed stare. Squeezing her hip gently, watching her breath catch in her throat a bit, he says, "To be continued. I still need an answer to my question." "R… Right…"

Moving to unlock the door, Jordan opens it just in time to see Noah coming up to them. Lydia, now inside the room, winks over at Nixie while grinning. Nixie just points a stern finger at her, a sign that obviously meant to shut up for now. Jordan doesn't miss that exchange though, and grins himself when Nixie brings her gaze back to him and blushes immediately. Noah simply looks to her arm, sees that it's been taken care of, and then sighs before saying, "We have to call Peter."

Nixie's previously happy and… while nervous, definitely blissful mood… vanishes in a heartbeat. Standing up straight, she asks, "Why the hell do we need to call him?" Lydia frowns too, but answers, "Because Meredith says that he's the only one she'll talk to."

Sighing, Nixie says, "Shit. This is not going to end well." Handing her phone to Lydia, she says, "He's in there somewhere. For the record though, if we weren't so pressed for time, I would most definitely be against this plan." Lydia nods, "I know, Nixie. You and me both."

* * *

Jordan isn't entirely sure who Peter Hale is. Until yesterday, he'd never heard of the man, except in passing.

But Jordan doesn't really care. According to Nixie, Peter was his own level of crazy and terrifying. And from the moment he'd walked into the room, Nixie had not stopped glaring at the man. And it was the same sort of glare she'd given Haigh when Jordan had walked in, burnt alive. That was more than enough for him to make up his mind. Jordan definitely does not like him.

While Nixie stands next to Peter, keeping an eye on him, Lydia briefly explains to Jordan, "We… dealt with him before you got to Beacon Hills. He tried to kill us all, and force Scott to be a member of his pack. We ended up killing him… and then he somehow got me to bring him back to life."

And Jordan's bewildered look, Lydia says, "Yeah, don't ask. Bottom line, we never trust him again."

At the window, looking into the interrogation room, Peter asks, "Her? That's the girl that stole my money?" He tilts his head, as though trying to remember if he's ever met her before, or why she might know his name. But he can't, so he simply asks again, "Her?" Nixie tries to calm herself, balling her fist up at her side, and says, "That girl is a banshee. They're more dangerous than you think."

Peter glances at her, then back at Meredith as he says, "Oh, I think that girl's pilot light went out a long time ago." Then he looks over her and asks Noah, "Sheriff, not to question the unquestionably sterling reputation of your department, but are you absolutely sure you got the right one?" Noah gives him a look and says, "How about you just go in there and see what she has to say."

Peter turns towards the sheriff, a wicked smile coming across his face. But before he can take one step, and before either officer in the room can pull their guns, Nixie's dagger is suddenly held against Peter's throat. Hissing as the blade slices into the very top layer of his skin, he turns back to look at her. Smirking, he says, "I will always be astounded by the lack of fear you have when it comes to me. It's stupid, but astounding. All things considered, given our… past encounters, I would think at some point, you would…"

Nixie presses the blade harder, drawing blood. Then she says, "You are a sociopath, and a bastard, Peter Hale. But you do not scare me." Peter winces at her blade, and then Nixie says, "If you kill her, before we can figure out how to stop this… I will kill you." "She is the one with the dead pool! She is the one targeting everyone!" "Everyone, except for you. And it's still happening. And until we figure out how to end it, we need her alive."

Stepping forward, making Peter step back so she didn't cut any deeper, Nixie says, "I don't like her anymore. That's a given. But you are still the one who nearly killed Lydia, and Derek, and Scott, and Alison. You kidnapped and hurt Stiles. You killed Kate Argent, who didn't actually die, and is now even more of a bitch then she was before. But you will not hurt Meredith. Not before we've ended this."

Peter stares down at her for a moment, and then grins a little. "I can't help but notice, my dear; that you didn't mention what I did to you." He glances around the room, finding both Noah and Jordan now looking at Nixie in concern. Gritting her teeth, Nixie says, "That'll come later." Peter chuckles and says, "Oh… so all this time? They never knew? I'm impressed."

Lydia steps up to Nixie's side and says, "I know." But Peter makes a tsk sound behind his teeth and says, "You know that I did it. But you don't know the whole story, now do you?" Lydia doesn't respond to that, and Peter chuckles and says, "You should ask her sometime. It's a real nail biter." Nixie slices across his neck sharply, making him cry out in pain. Then she says, "Considering I kicked your ass, yeah, I'd have to agree."

He glares at her for a moment, but then straightens up and says, "Tread carefully." Then he looks to Noah, and says, "Well? Are we doing this, or aren't we?" Jordan moves to follow him into the interrogation room. He pauses beside Nixie though, and reaches out to place a gentle hand on her hip. Softly, he asks, "Which one?" She looks up at him for a moment, and then sighs and traces out the scar that rests beneath the shirt she's wearing. Jordan's seen them all, so he knows which one it is. And aside from the berserker wound to her back… this was the worst one she had.

And it had been caused, by Peter Hale.

If Nixie didn't kill him first, someone was going to have to make sure Jordan didn't.

After they get into the room, once Peter begins talking to Meredith, Lydia puts an arm around Nixie's shoulders. "We need to talk when this is all over." Sighing, Nixie says, "Yeah. Scott says so too. You are all going to have to give me a little lee-way on that though. We need some time to catch up on school work after this. Then… then we'll get on to… well, this." She gestures to herself as a whole, clearly annoyed with having to address her scars. She was fine!

And then Noah comes up beside her and says, "Whenever you do decide to have this discussion, I would like to be present." Huffing, Nixie says, "Sure, why not? We'll throw a giant pity party for one little scar." Lydia gives her a look and says, "I've seen that one. It's not little." Nixie looks over at her, and then back to the glass as she says, "Let's just… focus on this right now. I promise, we'll get to this later. But not now."

They all tense when, after Meredith reaches out for Peter's face, he snatches her wrist to pull it away. Jordan sets a hand on his gun and says, "Let her go." But Peter doesn't listen. Instead, he asks, "Why did you do that?" Meredith simply answers, "They're all gone."

Then Lydia gasps, so Nixie turns back to her and asks, "What? What is it?" "Oh my God. They've met before. Peter and Meredith. They… they've met." And before Nixie can ask how that's possible, Meredith says from beyond the glass, "The burns. They're all gone."

Frowning, Nixie asks, "How does she know about the burns?" Lydia shakes her head, not entirely sure yet. Then Peter, frustrated beyond belief, says, "Meredith, you put everyone, including my nephew, and my daughter, on a death list. Don't you think you owe us the slightest explanation of why?"

Meredith leans forward, a slight smile on her face, and she explains, "You said it had to be kept secret." Nixie tilts her head in confusion, and then Noah says, "So he was in on it. The whole time. We should…" But at Nixie's shaking head, Noah asks, "What? She just said…" "No, I get that, and it's confusing. It's just…"

Sighing, she looks to Lydia and says, "I get that my… perception of Meredith, is apparently off. I hate her because of what happened, not because of what I feel in my gut. But Peter, I have always been right about him. Always. And I hate him, more than I've hated anyone else before."

Back to the glass, still confused as hell, she says, "But… he's not lying. He doesn't think they've ever met. He has no idea who Meredith is, except for what we've told him."

Peter, from inside, says, "Meredith. Allow me to remind you, yet again, that we have never met. Ever."

As his body begins to shift… tensing as though preparing for something, Nixie frowns while Lydia asks, "What is he doing?" Behind the glass, Meredith gives him a confused and disappointed look while asking, "You don't remember?" Peter answers, "No. But maybe you do."

And as Peter stands up, shoving the table aside, Nixie jerks towards the door while muttering, "Shit." Peter grabs Jordan before he can do anything, and throws him into the nearby wall. Then he grabs the back of Meredith's head, and sinks his claws into her neck before the others can come in to stop him.

Noah rushes into the room, Jordan scrambling back to his feet. Both of them draw their weapons, prepared to fire immediately. That is, until Nixie grabs hold of Jordan's arm and shouts, "Don't!" Turning to look at her, not missing the panic in her voice, he asks, "What's happening?" Noah nods in agreement to the question, so Nixie explains, "You can't touch them now." Looking at them, Nixie adds, "He's in her head."

Lydia comes in behind her and says, "If you break the bond, you could kill them. Both of them." Noah grits his teeth and asks, "What are we supposed to do?" Lydia blanks at that and says, "Um… I… I don't know."

Nixie glares at Peter and says, "We can't do anything, except wait for him to finish seeing whatever he's trying to see. There's nothing else we can do, without risking killing Meredith." Gesturing to him, Nixie adds, "And he knows that."

Jordan lowers his weapon, holstering it back at his hip. Then he gently turns Nixie towards him and asks, "What the hell is he doing to her?" Sighing, Nixie says, "It's… kind of a mind-meld, so to speak. Werewolves powerful enough, and in control enough, can enter and join the minds of other people. The claws in the back of the neck are like the entrance."

Looking back at them, he then asks, "And he's done this before?" Lydia shrugs and says, "I'm not sure. Not to my…" But Nixie says, "He did it to Isaac last year. When we were dealing with the alpha pack. Back when they were trying to find Erica and Boyd." Lydia nods and asks, "And it worked?"

Nixie sighs, "Yeah. But… Peter took his time then. He made sure Isaac was completely and totally relaxed before he tried to do this. Said it would be too dangerous and ineffective if Isaac wasn't relaxed." Nodding, Lydia asks, "Considering what we all think of Peter, how did he get Isaac to relax?" "He didn't. I did."

Smiling, Lydia says, "Of course you did. How? Tell him a joke? Sarcasm him to death?" "Lydia, I will have you know, I'm a rather charming person when I feel like it. Couldn't I have just been charming?" "Unlikely. It's a lot more likely that you loaded him with sarcasm until he was blue in the face." "You know what? I'm offended. Highly offended."

Lydia laughs, and then asks, "Seriously, though. How?" Nixie blushes a bit, and then mutters, "He kissed me." Snapping her gaze back to Nixie, Lydia asks, "He… what?" Groaning and slumping her shoulders, refusing to look at Jordan as well, Nixie says, "He kissed me. Apparently the sense of security and safety that just seems to pour out of me… it sort of… just sank in more after he kissed me. It made him relax. And then Peter went into his mind. Now, can we drop it, please?!"

Nixie goes back to watching Peter, but then pinches the bridge of her nose when Lydia says, "I didn't know you'd been kissed before." "Yeah, well, it's not like it counted." She jumps a little when Jordan says from behind her, "Apparently, none of them did before."

Oh… right. She'd mentioned that to him before. When the young version of Derek had kissed her to try and soak in that feeling of safety.

If possible, she blushes harder. Then she sighs and says, "In any case… he knows how this works." Lydia nods, and in an attempt to change the subject, for Nixie's sake, she says, "He's the one who showed Scott how to do this when Stiles was possessed by the Nogitsune, and he and Nixie went into Stiles' head."

Both Noah and Jordan jerk their attention to Nixie, and ask at the same time, "What?!" Nixie jumps and glances between both of them before throwing her hands up beside her head. "Okay, seriously, not the point right now. Yeah, I went with Scott, into Stiles' head. It was not as pleasant as you might think, considering the Nogitsune was in control at that point. Now, can we drop it please?!"

They all watch Meredith and Peter for a moment, and then Noah asks, "Why would I think being in Stiles' head would be a pleasant experience?" Nixie shrugs and says, "I guess it depends on how you envision Stiles' mind to be. I've always imagined his mind to be filled with boards of conspiracy theories, plenty of jolly ranchers and snacks, and coffee. Lots and lots of coffee."

Jordan was close to laughing, until Meredith suddenly gasps, and then starts murmuring softly into the room. It's so quiet, even Nixie, with her attuned ears, can't hear it. But as Lydia steps forward, Noah asks, "Do you hear that? She's saying something." He makes to step forward, but Nixie stops him. Gesturing to Lydia, Nixie then motions for both of the men to stay back.

She comes up slowly to Lydia, and then gently places a hand on her back. Rubbing in soothing circles, she asks softly, "Do you hear her, Lydia?" Nodding, Lydia says, "I can. I can hear it perfectly."

Tilting her head, Lydia explains, "She was in the hospital. The exact same hospital." Jordan comes up behind Nixie and asks, "Same as who?" Lydia answers in a daze, "Peter." Nixie glares at Peter again, but then steps back as Jordan gently grabs her elbow and guides her away. Softly, he asks, "When was he ever in a hospital?" "Oh… um. Remember we told you that the Hale place was burned by a hunter with people inside?" Jordan nods, and Nixie adds, "He was one of the people trapped inside. He was so severely hurt… he was stuck in a coma for… well, quite some time."

Looking at Lydia again, Nixie adds, "And apparently Meredith was there at the same time as he was." Lydia nods and says, "It was right after the fire. Meredith could hear him." Noah takes a step closer and asks, "Hear what?" "Everything. She was hearing every thought in his head. Like they'd somehow found the same wavelength. And then… everything going through his mind… was also going right into hers."

Nixie stares at Meredith for a moment, and then asks, "For how long?" "Weeks? Maybe even months. It was almost like he was standing right over her bed, talking about the fire. About getting revenge."

Lydia continues trying to relay everything she can hear through Meredith's whispers. And what Meredith heard… what Peter had thought about while he was in his coma… Meredith's entire plan had come from him. The money he'd use, the people he'd hire, the way it would be handed out. The entirety of the dead pool… it had all come from Peter.

When Peter finally pulls away from Meredith, he collapses onto the ground. Meredith almost falls out of her chair, except Nixie rushes forward and holds her upright. Jordan comes too, checking the back of Meredith's neck. And sure enough, there are four marks there from the claws that had dug in through the skin.

Jordan frowns at Peter, but then looks down at Nixie when she says, "That's why she never felt different. Meredith… she's never been right. Never fully recovered from what… what happened to her. She…" Looking at Meredith closely, Nixie tilts his head sadly and says, "She didn't understand… maybe she'll never understand… just how terrible all this was."

Then Nixie turns to see Noah pull out his gun, aiming it right at Peter's head. Lydia shakes her head in disbelief at Peter, "It was your idea. And you don't even remember."

Looking up at Noah, the gun still pointed at him, Peter asks, "Are you kidding me?" Noah simply replies, "Hands where I can see them." "How in the hell was I supposed to remember any of that?!" Noah motions for him to get to his feet, not taking the gun off of him for a second. Lydia points at him and says, "She got it from you."

Peter sighs helplessly and says, "I was out of my mind! Do you know what it's like for one of us to be in a coma? Paralyzed but cognizant? You try not going crazy!" Jordan gently pulls Nixie back behind him, and then points out, "She was listening to you." Peter scowls and says, "She was listening to the ranting and raving of a lunatic!" Then he calms himself and adds, "A former lunatic. I'm much healthier now."

Focusing his attention back on Noah, Peter says, "I had nothing to do with this." But Noah shakes his head, "If she was following your lead on this, then how do we know there's isn't more?" Peter throws up his hands and asks, "Stealing my own money?! Really?!" "You were going to use it anyway."

Nixie nods in agreement with that, but then jumps in surprise when Lydia exclaims, "Stop. Stop it! This is what she wants. It's why she's here." Frowning in confusion, Nixie asks, "Lydia?" She turns to look at Nixie, and then gestures around them. "Look around. There's four people in here right now. Four people still on the dead pool. Me, Jordan, Meredith, and you." Jordan, still keeping a hand on Meredith's shoulder, says, "But not him."

Peter nods towards Lydia though and says, "Lydia's right. We don't want to kill each other." Noah simply raises his gun higher and says, "The only person I'm pointing a gun at, is you." Peter grins, "Then you better make it a perfect shot, sheriff. Because I don't go down easy."

His smile slips though, when Noah raises the gun to his head and says, "Yeah. Well, I'm willing to bet that a bullet between the eyes doesn't heal real fast… not even for your kind."

Lydia looks around at them and says, "Stop. Please stop. Nixie… please…" Turning to look at Lydia, Nixie admits, "I… I don't see how killing Peter hurts us. He's not on the dead pool. He's the only one with a gun pointed at him. Why…" But Lydia says, "Please! Please, just trust me on this!"

Nixie stares back at her for a moment, and then says, "Noah… please." Peter smirks and says, "This department's getting more corrupted by the second. What are you going to charge me with, Sheriff? How are you going to explain this to a judge? Telepathic girl overhears thoughts of a comatose werewolf, and decides to enact his plans for retribution? Hmm…"

Clicking his tongue in admonishment he adds, "They're gonna be pointing a gun at your head and asking you to go quietly."

But he freezes when Nixie says, "How about we go with elder male kidnaps, tortures, and attempts to murder a young teenage girl?" Peter turns his attention to her, and says, "I did not…" "You kidnapped Stiles. I followed. But Stiles and I can work out the details of our cover story later. The most important part though, is that I have the scars from what you did to me."

Glaring at him, she says, "Do not threaten the people that matter to me. There are so many ways I can ruin your worthless life. You have no idea." Then she looks over at Noah, and says gently, "But… I'd still take the word of a banshee, Noah. Let him leave. No triggers pulled. No blood shed. Nobody else from the dead pool dies."

Nixie comes out from behind Jordan, and gently puts a hand over Noah's wrist that holds the gun. "Please, Noah. Listen to Lydia. Just let him go." Noah looks down at her, and then reluctantly lowers his gun. Holstering it, watching as Peter makes his way back across the room, Noah says, "That's twice, Peter. There isn't gonna be a third." Peter smirks and says, "You won't have time to make it a third."

He should've kept his mouth shut. His only warning for what was to come, was Noah shouting, "Nixie, don't!" Peter had half turned back around, to see what was happening.

That's when something solid, hard as diamonds, slammed into his face with tremendous force. It sent him to the ground, and forced his body to slide and slam into the wall on the other side of the room.

The sound had been like that of a hammer slamming down on top of a solid metal object. That's the sound that rang through the room, when Nixie's fist collided with Peter's face. Hard. She put her entire body into that punch.

She'd done that, put her whole body into it, because that was what she was used to having to do. If punching a werewolf, you couldn't hold back anything. They might not feel it at all, if you held back. And honestly, even with her whole body behind it, Nixie hadn't really expected to hurt Peter. She'd expected, more or less, to simply annoy him with her attempt. And at the very least, she'd only expected to feel a little better about the fact that they were letting him go, and he was still threatening the people that mattered to her.

Her hand didn't hurt. That was the first sign to her, that something very different had just happened. She'd punched Derek in the face before, and she felt like she'd sprained and bruised every bone, joint, and ligament in her hand. Her knuckles had been bruised for a week. But now… well, she feels the same as when she might've punched any other human in the face.

She stares at Peter a moment more, and then looks down at her right hand. And her eyes grow huge when she doesn't see her own skin. But scales. Dark blue scales. And as she uncurls her first, she doesn't find claws at the end of her fingers… but talons. Dark blue talons that match the scales perfect. Long and elegantly curled. She's not gonna lie, she always thought the werewolf claws looked weird on her fiends… like they didn't belong.

But her talons belonged. They looked as though there would never be a better place for them. Still, she honestly can't believe she didn't pierce through her own hand when making the fist. Or… perhaps the scales had something to do with that.

She was still so shocked by her own hand, that she didn't hear Peter scramble to his feet. All she knows, is that she's suddenly being pulled quickly behind Jordan. He and Noah both move in front of her, blocking the path to her, their guns raised and leveled at Peter, Noah aiming for his head, and Jordan aiming for the heart.

Peter stops short when he sees them protecting Nixie. Whether Lydia wanted him let go or not… if he came at Nixie again, he would end up shot. And he wasn't completely stupid.

He does glare at her though… right up until she lifts her head and looks back at him. Then his own eyes widen, and he tilts his head in wonder while whispering, "Silver?"

Finally, after a long moment of silence, Peter smirks ever so slightly, and then turns and walks out of the room. Meredith hurriedly tries to stand up, to go after him… but Noah quickly moves to catch her. Trying to reach out for Peter, Meredith screams, "No. It's not finished! No, it's not finished! NO! It's not done! IT'S NOT FINISHED!"

Jordan glances at her, and then turns around to see if Nixie's alright. But before he can reach out to her, he finds himself frozen as he stares at her. Because where there had once been deep blue eyes… now silver eyes were looking back at him. Bright silver, with a very tiny circle of dark blue rimming all the way around. And her pupils were no longer circles… but ovals.

Nixie stares back at him, and then backs up a step and says, "I… I didn't… I don't… I'm sorry, I know I must look… I can't…"

But as she backs away, Jordan simply follows. She backs herself into a wall, and then closes her eyes tightly. Tears falling from the corners of her eyes, she says, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to… I didn't know it would… I don't even know how I… Oh God, I look like…"

A warm hand cups the side of her neck, and Nixie can feel him brushing away her tears with his other. And then his lips are right next to her ear, and Nixie gasps softly when Jordan whispers, "Beautiful."

She opens her eyes slowly, lifting her head to meet his gaze. Her hand is still covered in scales, talons still extended. And the eyes he looks into are still silver. But they are still her eyes. Squeezing the side of her neck gently, comfortingly, Jordan says, "You look, the same as you always do. The same as you always have. Beautiful."

Nixie stares at him for a moment, and then says, "You are so… so… weird." Jordan grins and laughs before saying, "I'm going to take that as a compliment." Nixie smiles up at him, and then sighs and leans her head back against the wall behind her. Jordan makes to give her a little bit of space, but this time, she's the one that doesn't allow it to happen. Taking hold of the hand on her neck, she puts it back where it was, and then says, "Just… give me a minute."

So he waits, and when she opens her eyes again, the deep blue has returned. Looking down at her hand, Nixie sighs in relief when she sees the talons are gone, and it's her old hand again. Jordan smiles gently at her, and then draws her off the wall and into his arms. Resting her head against his chest, she smiles when she feels him kiss the top of her head, and then his hand on her neck moves to gently card through her still damp hair.

Lydia grins giddily at them, in spite of all the bad that's still going on everywhere else. Noah looks between the two of them as well, and then sighs and says, "This still got us nowhere closer to figuring out how to stop the money payments." Nodding, Lydia says, "I'll call Stiles and Malia. Last time Nixie checked, they were heading to the lake house. Maybe they've found something."

Nodding, Noah glances at Jordan and Nixie again. Then he sighs and says, "I'm too old for this." He takes hold of Meredith and walks her out of the room. Lydia grins at the sheriff's reaction, knowing that when it came down to it, he really only cared that Nixie would be happy. Then she turns back to Jordan and Nixie, and says, "You know, you two might want to consider toning it down a bit when the sheriff is in the room."

Nixie jumps a bit, finally remembering that they're not alone. Jordan turns to glance at Lydia, who shrugs and says, "I'm just saying." Then she smirks and waves her fingers at them suggestively, before hurrying out of the room to get her phone.

For a moment, Nixie and Jordan just stand there. Then Jordan turns back to her and asks, "Are you alright?" "Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine now." Taking her right hand in his, he asks, "How's your hand?" She looks at it too, watches as his fingers gently move over hers, inspecting her for damage, even though there wasn't any to find. Nodding, she says, "It's… fine. Which, you know, was not expected. I was fully prepared for it to be broken afterwards. Would've been fine with that too. Still would've been worth it."

Jordan chuckles. Running his fingers gently over hers some more, he then draws it up to rest against his chest. Meeting her gaze, he says, "We need to talk." "We are talking." Raising an eyebrow at her, he says, "You know that's not what I mean." She blushes and immediately starts biting at her lip again.

It was ridiculous, to think she didn't know what he was talking about. After all they'd been through, after all they'd done together. After all the smiles, the flirts, the caring for each other. And given how often she blushed around him, and how often he made her want to smile in a ridiculous fashion… she knew what it was he wanted to talk about. And she knew he was right. They needed to.

And she had hope, finally, that he could be more. Lydia had told her countless times that he liked her. Lydia had also told her that he wouldn't run from her when he saw her scars. And he hadn't. He hadn't run from any of them when he learned the whole truth either. That part had given her even more hope.

And he hadn't hated her for all they'd kept from him. In fact, he'd explained very recently, how ridiculous the concept even was in his mind. He'd saved her from certain death. He thought she was beautiful. Even with talons and glowing eyes, he thought she was beautiful. Even standing here, a soaked mess, bruised and hurt… he thought she was beautiful.

And he wasn't lying. She could feel it; could see it in his eyes.

So, with all that in mind, Nixie begins working out just how much school work she has to catch up on. Because she would not be able to focus on this rather important discussion, if she knew she still had papers to write.

Jordan watches as her eyes dart around, knowing she's looking at several lists in her mind that he can't see. Waiting patiently as the gears turn at full speed in her mind, he then smiles gently when she looks up at him again. Sighing, she says, "I… um… after we… I mean…"

Huffing, she says, "I'm way behind in my school work. Like, the pile of work I have to do, is beginning to look like Mount Everest." Jordan laughs and says, "Yes, I do seem to recall you mentioning something about that." Nixie grins up at him, and blushes again when he says, "I also recall you saying that you were going to sleep straight after that. For a week. So… do I need to wait until after your hibernation to have this conversation?"

She tilts her head at him, and then says, "You would do that. Wouldn't you?" He shrugs, as though it were no big deal. Smiling again, she says, "Well… no. I… don't want to wait that long." Jordan grins and says, "Okay. When do you think you'll want to talk? I can wait, however long you need."

She stares up at him again, and then shakes her head in amusement and says, "Your patience will all of this bull-crap is, literally, beyond me." Jordan chuckles, and then gently runs his fingers over her hand again. Nixie bites her lip again, trying to come up with a date for him, and also trying very hard to not pull him closer again.

Turns out to be pointless. She'd no sooner started biting her lip again, when Jordan reached up gently, and with his thumb, he gently tugged her lip down from between her teeth. Nixie's eyes widen slightly in surprise, and Jordan doesn't blame her. But… he couldn't continue watching her do that. He was going to lose it, if he had to watch her bite her lip again, and not be able to kiss her afterwards.

And Nixie's heart skips a beat when he says softly, "You have to stop doing that."

She's tempted to ask why. It's on the tip of her tongue, to ask him why she had to stop biting her lip. But… that would not end well.

Well… okay, she wouldn't consider it bad. She wanted to kiss him, and apparently, he wanted to kiss her just as badly. But… they needed to talk first. They needed to talk and figure out what, if anything, they were going to do, and going to become. Then, maybe, she could kiss him.

So instead, she simply nods. And then, after a few more calculations, she says, "Um… Friday? Before the lacrosse game? I can… I mean, if it's alright, I can come by before it starts and… um…" Jordan's thumb gently traces her lower lip, and then his hand slides back down to cup her neck. He smiles when she relaxes into his touch, and then says, "That works for me. I'll be getting off that evening, so I can give you a ride to the game, if you like."

Nixie nods to that, and for a moment, the both of them just stand there, basking in each other's company. Then, though she'd rather remain, Nixie says softly, "We should… probably go and see if Lydia found out anything from Stiles." Jordan nods and says, "Yeah. You're probably right."

But he doesn't move, and just grins when Nixie laughs. Pressing a kiss to her forehead, he sighs and says, "Alright. Come on. I doubt they'll be able to save the day without you present." "I'm both flattered for myself, and yet offended for my friends' sakes." Jordan chuckles and guides her out of the room.

Back in the main office area, Nixie pauses for a moment when Lydia says, "Wait a minute. The floor. Point the camera back at the carpet Stiles." Tilting her head, Nixie then looks back to Jordan and whispers, "Okay. Maybe they can't." He grins at her, and the runs his hand gently up her back, before moving to join Noah in his office with Meredith.

Nixie comes up beside Lydia, looking to see that Stiles is now showing them the floor of the lake house, quiet room. Lydia asks, "Where's the stain?" Then she looks up at Nixie and asks, "Did you actually manage to get the wine stain out?" Nixie gives her a sheepish look and says, "I hadn't had time to get to that yet." "Okay. No, it's fine, I didn't think you had. But that's why it makes no sense. The five-hundred dollars I gave to Brunski was supposed to go to a cleaner to get the stain out." "Lydia, didn't I tell you I would handle that? Geez."

Stiles, from over the phone, says "Guys, can we focus please?! There's nothing on the floor! Yay!" Lydia huffs, "But it doesn't make sense, Stiles." "Lydia, was the hell does wine have to do with anything we're dealing with right now?" Nixie leans into view and says, "Red wine doesn't just disappear Stiles. Now hush for a moment. Lydia's onto something."

It takes another second, but then Lydia holds up a finger and says, "Unless it wasn't wine." And despite Nixie's order to be quiet for a bit, Stiles asks, "What? What do you mean?" Lydia turns to Nixie and says, "The ashes weren't ashes. The study isn't a study. And the record player, isn't a record player."

Nixie grins and adds, "So maybe the wine wasn't wine." Back into the phone, Nixie says, "Stiles, you have to find that wine bottle. There might be something about it that'll help us." Nodding eagerly, Stiles asks, "What kind? What's it called?"

Nixie shrugs helplessly. She hadn't even been there that night. But Lydia immediately answers, "It's a 1982 Cotes du Rhone." When Nixie raises an eyebrow, obviously wondering how she remembered the exact bottle of wine that got spilled in there, Lydia says, "I remember because of how much it was supposed to have cost." "Right. And the fact that you practically have an eidetic memory certainly doesn't hurt anything."

Stiles shoves the phone into Malia's hands, and then spastically sprints out of the room. When he comes back, he shakes the bottle in question and says, "I think there's something inside. Do you have, like, a wine opener or…"

And Nixie can't help it. She laughs when Malia simply grabs hold of the bottle and smashes it down onto the floor. The poor girl had been wanting to break or smash something for a while now. It was about time she got her chance.

Silence reigns for a while, and then Stiles exclaims over the phone, "That worked! It actually worked! It's shutting down!" Lydia beams over at Nixie, and then jumps to hug her as tight as she can. Nixie smiles and squeezes her back just as tight. Then she says, "Let me call Scott and make sure they're okay."

Scott has just let the man he was beating to a pulp, get up and walk away. That's when his phone rings. Satomi, along with everyone, eyes it warily for a second, as though afraid something worse was about to happen. But Scott smiles, and everyone that can hear, grins along with him when Nixie asks, "Are you all still alive? Because I have had a rough night, and it would suck, like, a hell of a freaking lot, if any of you were dead at this point."

Scott looks around at everyone, and then nods and says, "We're alright. Everyone is." "Good. In that case, when you get back here, make sure you bring my jacket. I love Lori to death, but she can't keep it. And tell her if she's become that attached to it, I'll buy her one someday." Chuckling, Scott says, "I got it, Nix. Thank you." "Yeah, well. Thank you for not dying. The depression you all just saved me from, would've been something for the record books. And stop laughing at me. I'm very serious."

* * *

With Jordan and Noah step outside, finally getting a call through to someone who could get Meredith, Nixie and Lydia step into the office. Lydia, because she wanted to talk to Meredith. And Nixie… well, because she still wasn't comfortable leaving Lydia alone with Meredith. The girl was messed up in the head, and even that wasn't really her own fault. But still… you'd think that Meredith would at least be able to tell that Peter was definitely the bad guy in all of this.

Slipping a jacket over Meredith's shoulders, Lydia sits down with her and asks, "Are you okay?" Meredith simply nods in return, though Nixie can tell that she feels, at least a little bit, ashamed. She's not happy that her actions have caused Lydia to be upset with her. And as Nixie looks away from them, back out into the bullpen, Lydia notes that Meredith looks up at Nixie with that same upset expression. Sighing, Lydia says, "I guess you are, aren't you? At least, for someone who'd put their own name on a hit list."

"I had to." Lydia glances at Nixie, who is now pinching the bridge of her nose in frustration. Then Lydia asks, "Why?" Meredith gives her a meaningful look and says, "Because I heard you." At Lydia's confused expression, Meredith explains, "I heard you scream in the tunnels at Oak Creek."

Outside, Jordan had just gotten off the phone, when he feels a sudden chill sweep through the air. The rest of the office pays no mind to it. They simply grab jackets or shiver and then brush it off. But Jordan catches Noah's eye, and then they both head back for his office.

Inside, Nixie is leaning against Noah's desk, her posture rigid now. And yes… there was a distinct chill in the air that was probably caused by her. Noah moves closer to Lydia, wondering if anything had changed in the last few minutes. Jordan walks up to Nixie. Putting a gentle hand on her shoulder, he asks, "What happened? Are you…" She waves a hand at him, as though waving away the fact that she's the reason it's now cold in here. Then she sighs and says, "Just… getting answers is sometimes painful." "How?"

She looks up at him, and then nods towards Meredith and says, "She started all of this… because Lydia screamed… the night that Alison was killed."

Ah. And that would do it. Wrapping an arm around her, he asks softly, "Are you alright?" "I'm fine. I'm not about to have a breakdown, like when it happened. I just… it's still sad." Jordan nods in understanding, and then they all look to Meredith again when she says, "That's why I knew it was the right time… to start over."

Lydia takes in a sharp inhale of breath, and then asks, "But with Peter?" Meredith gives a small nod, and then says, "He's the alpha. He's always been the alpha. He'll make it right. It never was with us." Then Meredith looks up at Nixie and says, "Too many people died… because of us. We're the monsters. Even banshees. Even me!"

Nixie shakes her head at that, and then says, "Meredith… you're just repeating what Peter thinks. Come on now. I know… I know some part of you has to know… that's not true." Shaking her own head, Meredith says, "But… he explained… Peter said…" Gritting her teeth, trying to remain calm, Nixie cuts her off, "Peter, in a coma, explained that a deranged and psychotic hunter, burned down his home. With the majority of his family trapped inside. That, Meredith, was before us. All of us. It was beyond our control."

Coming forward, bending down on her knees in front of Meredith, Nixie asks, "Do you… do you understand me enough, Meredith? To know how I operate?" Meredith nods with a smile and says, "You protect those who are yours." "Yes, I do. And how do I decide who's mine?" "You get feelings. Instincts that tell you who is worth taking the time to claim." "Yes."

Taking one of Meredith's hands in hers, Nixie says, "I don't waste my time, with people who aren't worth it, Meredith. So, if you believe that, then you should also believe that every single person in our pack, is worth saving."

Meredith tilts her head contemplatively at that, a small frown working onto her face as she considers what Nixie just said. Pushing forward, Nixie says, "Peter has tried to hurt, literally, everyone that matters to me, Meredith. He turned Scott into a werewolf. He tried to force Scott to kill all of his friends. He threatened Melissa. He's threatened Noah. He kidnapped and threatened Stiles. He threatened Alison. He damn near killed Lydia."

Nixie lifts her shirt just enough for Meredith to see the scar that rests there, and says, "He tried to force me to become a werewolf with him. And this is what I got in return, when I told him no. This is what he does. This is who he is. He even tried to kill his own nephew, at one point. He killed Kate Argent. He brainwashed Lydia so she'd bring him back to life. Nothing, Meredith, but destruction, death, and chaos, follows after him. He…" Nixie ponders for a moment just want to say to make it sink in, and then remembers what Meredith had called Brunski before he died. Giving Meredith a meaningful look, she says, "Peter is a bad person, Meredith. A very bad person."

Cupping Meredith's hand in both of hers, Nixie says, "But with us… with Scott… we found and defeated a kanima, before he could kill the entire town. We figured out Gerard's plan, and we found a way to stop him and save everyone, including Alison that night. We defeated an alpha pack, and a darach. And through it all, Scott eventually became a true alpha in the process. We saved Stiles from a Nogitsune. We saved Lydia. Scott saved Liam."

Nixie shakes her head and says, "We're not altogether human, Meredith. But we are very human, in the sense that, we are not perfect. We're going to make mistakes. And occasionally, some battles, we're going to lose. But we keep trying. With Scott as our alpha, we always keep trying to save people, and to do what's right."

Lydia smiles down at Nixie, and then says gently, "So we don't believe that, Meredith. We don't believe that it's not right with us." Taking Meredith's other hand in hers, Lydia adds, "Not all monsters do monstrous things."

Meredith tilts her head and asks, "Like who?" Lydia smiles and says, "Like Scott McCall. Our true alpha." Nixie smiles up at her, and then jumps a little when Meredith pulls her hands away. Reaching out, she gently cups Nixie's face and says, "Like you." Then she does the same to Lydia and adds, "And like you."

A dawning realization slowly seeps into Meredith's expression, and then she gasps and asks softly, "Oh God. What have I done?"

Noah can see the panic beginning to appear in her eyes, in her trembling hands, and in her shaking shoulders. And he's about to tell the girls to step back from her…

But Nixie isn't upset with her anymore. Meredith wasn't a bad person. She was just confused as to what the right thing truly was. She'd never really had anyone to ever truly show her the right path... the good path. So when Meredith starts shaking, Nixie moves to sit on her other side. Drawing her in, wrapping her arms around Meredith, Nixie softly says, "It's okay. Everything is going to be okay now."

They wait for her to be calm, and then Nixie reluctantly releases her to be taken back to Eichen by the orderlies that have shown up.

Leaning back against the sofa, Nixie glances over when Lydia moves to sit directly next to her. Leaning back as well, Lydia asks, "Well… now what do you suppose we do?" "Eat." Lydia bursts into laughter, and Nixie grins, but then says, "It's actually not funny though. I'm serious. I'm exhausted. And starving. And on top of all that, I now also have a headache to contend with." Lydia leans her head over onto Nixie's shoulder. And once she's settled down from laughing, she sighs, "Yeah. It's been a long couple of days." "Try a long few of months." "Amen to that."

Noah grins at both girls, and then glances up at Jordan. And though it was obvious where things were beginning to head, between his best deputy and his honorary daughter, well… he knew Nixie would be in excellent care with Jordan. So Noah says to him, "Do me a favor. Get Nixie home. I'll take Lydia. We'll get you girls to school tomorrow as well, if you need it. And you can get your car and your bike later. You shouldn't be driving right now. Particularly you, Nixie, since you've been up all night."

Nixie's response is to jump up off the couch and say, "I have no idea what you're talking about. I'm as awake as I've ever been." Noah just gives her a look, so she smiles and says, "I didn't say I was arguing. Just saying, look at me. Have you ever seen me more chipper?" "Yes." Nixie raises her eyebrows, and then looks to Lydia and says, "Damn. I must really look like hell right now."

Lydia just shakes her head in amusement, and then walks with the sheriff out the door so he can take her home. Nixie turns to face Jordan, and then asks, "So… you gonna take me home?" He nods, but as they're sitting in his car and he cranks the engine, he says, "But I think I would be remiss if I didn't feed you something first. You did, after all, say you were starving." "I do recall mentioning that. And I have now decided that I will be highly offended if you don't feed me before sending me home, my dear deputy."

Jordan grins, and takes her to get some quick sandwiches from in town, and then drives her to the Yukimara's. He walks her all the way up to her porch, a gentle hand on her back as they go. Stopping at the door, Jordan asks, "Will I see you before Friday?" Nixie looks up at him, and then says, "I mean, I'm still a frequent visitor at the station. I've never really had a reason before. Don't see why I'd need one now. Although, if you're up for it, I know I have at least two more papers to write, and you happen to be quite adept at proof-reading." Chuckling, Jordan says, "I wouldn't mind."

Nixie smiles, and says, "So… yeah. I'll see you." Jordan nods, and then draws her in closer for a moment. Kissing the top of her head, he then whispers softly, "Goodnight, Nixie. Get some sleep. You've earned it." "Goodnight, Jordan. You too."

She watches after him until he's driven away, a rapid pace still pounding from her heart in her chest. She was excited. And nervous.

But as nervous as she was about the conversation she knows they're going to have… she honestly can't wait for Friday to finally get here.

* * *

Chapter 10! Yay! Only three more to go guys. Hope you're enjoying this new version. :)


	12. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: "I do not own Teen Wolf. The show, the characters, and any quotes from the show belong to Jeff Davis and his amazing team of writers. I only own Nixie, and anything I make her do or say."

* * *

Chapter 11: Episode 4x11

Coming to the station didn't end up happening at all over the weekend after they'd ended the dead pool. Nixie had remembered that she had two papers to finish. But she'd forgotten about the biology paper she had as well, which made it three papers to write. On top of that, she had notes to copy, Malia to help tutor, Scott and Stiles to review and edit, and even Kira and Lydia were in need of some assistance catching up on their work as of late.

Nixie consider though, that since they were all in danger of being killed by one assassin or another, that they're still in pretty good shape, since no one is failing any of their classes. Yet. And on top of the actual paper type of work they needed to catch up on, Nixie had some running hours she needed to put in so she didn't fail gym.

The easiest class in the world, and Nixie was not about to fail it because Coach thought she hadn't run enough this year. If she has to, she'll threaten the man. She really will.

In any case, she spends her first three days after the dead pool in her room, working on her papers. She literally does nothing else, except come out for an occasional snack, and obviously to use the restroom and take a shower.

Kira came into the room to check on her once, and there was a highlighter in her mouth, another behind one ear, a pencil behind the other. And she was holding a red pen, clicking it rapidly as she read over a section of the paper she was working on. Books were scattered all around her on the bed, as though she were strategizing for World War III.

Honestly, the scene might've been funny… if Nixie didn't also still look exhausted. Everyone else had caught up on their rest so far. Everyone, except for Nixie. And when Kira asked her about it, Nixie admitted that she'd gotten, maybe, five or six total hours of sleep since the dead pool. Which, if you add up all the sleep she'd already missed previously… it wasn't good.

But Nixie was insistent, "I just have to finish the papers. If I can do that, everything else will come together easily, and I can sleep without any worries at all. Well… given that no one else tries to kill us before then."

Kira wanted to argue further, but Nixie explained that each paper was worth a quarter of her final grade. She couldn't risk not finishing them in time. So Kira left her alone.

But come Sunday, when Nixie was getting closer to finishing her papers, Noshiko knocked gently on the door. "It's open." Stepping inside, she looks around the room briefly, and then smiles gently while asking, "Did you get any sleep last night?" "Two hours."

When Noshiko frowns, Nixie says, "Oh, I'm fine. Completely, no worries. I just… I had a really good thought and wanted to write it down before I forgot it. And then the ideas just kept rolling in, so I kept putting them down. But I promise, when I stop having good ideas, I'll try to go back to sleep."

Noshiko laughs a little, and then asks, "Would you consider taking a small break for lunch?" "Um… I would. Maybe in a minute. I just had…" "Another thought. I figured as much." Nixie shrugs sheepishly, and is about to go back to writing, highlighter back in her mouth, when Noshiko adds, "Which is why, when Kira suggested he bring you something, I agreed. And it's also why I have no problems, letting him in here to see if he can help at all."

Nixie looks up in confusion, but then her eyes widen as Noshiko opens the door wider, and Jordan steps just inside the room.

Noshiko, as far as the adults went, was actually the most understanding, when it came to the age difference bit of Jordan and Nixie's… relationship. Conversation pending. In any case, the woman was over nine-hundred years old. Her husband was in his forties. Compared to them, the gap between Jordan and Nixie was infinitely smaller.

Noshiko also knows, based on why Nixie is staying here, and on what little Kira has mentioned about Nixie's past 'injuries', that Nixie hasn't actually been a child for quite some time. She had to grow up fast, far faster than she should have. But in that sense, Jordan was good for her. Even from the beginning, unlike most people, he seemed to see her more for who she was as a person. And that person, was certainly not a child.

Jordan nods to Noshiko and says, "Thank you." Noshiko nods back, and then whispers, "I know she has a lot of work to do still. But try and get her to sleep a little, if you can." Jordan nods again, and then steps out of the way so Noshiko could shut the door behind her.

Turning back to Nixie, he holds up a bag of food from the same Italian place he'd gone before. Nixie just stares at him a moment more, her focus slipping so much that the highlighter falls from her teeth and to the book she was looking at. Blushing hard and scrambling to pick it up, she asks, "Um… what are you…" Jordan grins at her and then steps further into the room. Setting the bag on a nearby dresser, he pulls out a container of food, same as she'd eaten last time.

Coming over to her, setting it on the small portion of space he can find in front of her, he asks, "You want the same one as last time? Or would you like to try the other one?" Nixie stares at him a moment longer, and then her stomach grumbles. Jordan opens the box for her, and smiles when Nixie picks up the fork and says, "This one."

He takes the other box for himself, and then sets it on the nightstand by the bed. Looking down at Nixie, lying on her stomach, her head towards the end of the bed, he can't help but laugh. Books were circled around her, and red marks were everywhere. Shaking his head, he says, "Kira wasn't joking. It's like we're on defcon four in here."

Nixie laughs, and then looks around herself, at her scattered notes and books. Sighing, she says, "Yeah. I… get carried away sometimes. All in the effort of a wonderfully finished product." "Oh, of course." Jordan then takes a seat at the head of the bed, on the side of her and past where her books are laid out. His back to the headboard, he asks, "Is all the work for the paper itself on the computer, or do you have a draft printed out yet?"

Nixie turns her head to look at him, and then grabs the draft of her English paper. Handing it back, she says, "I… still need to look over this one though. It's not…" Jordan takes it anyway and simply says, "It's a rough draft. I got this."

He's read the first two paragraphs, when he glances back up and finds Nixie still looking back at him. Raising an eyebrow, smirking when she blushes, he asks, "What?" "It's just… I mean… don't you have work?" "It's my day off." Nixie nods to that, but then asks, "Then… I don't know. Don't you have… I mean, surely you have something better you'd rather be doing than proofreading my papers on a Sunday. I mean… it's…"

Jordan narrows his eyes at her, and the grin on his lips told her that he found her entirely too amusing. Setting his food and her paper aside, he scoots up on the bed, as close as he can get to her without ruining her books. One arm braced on the opposite side of her, his forearm resting lightly against her waist.

She couldn't have stopped blushing to save her life as he came even closer. Leaning down nearer her face, he explains, "Nixie… aside from looking forward to our conversation on Friday, I really don't have anything else I'd rather be doing on my day off." Nixie raises an eyebrow and asks, "You want to proofread papers?"

And now she was the one fishing… but for a completely different sort of information. And unlike when Jordan had been fishing, and Nixie held back… Jordan didn't really see the need. Narrowing his eyes playfully at her, he says, "I want to be near you. What we happen to be doing, is of little consequence to me."

Nixie hadn't even realized she was biting her lip again. Not until he drew in even closer. Letting out a long sigh through his nose, he adds in a low voice, "I told you that you have to stop doing that."

Lord, he was going to kill her. Nixie lets her lip slip from between her teeth, a small gasp escaping her lips. Jordan then runs a soothing hand up and down her back, his thumb working out a small kink he finds on his way. Nixie is practically at her wits end, when Jordan leans down again. Kissing her temple, he then whispers in her ear, "Now… get back to work."

Nixie's mouth drops open and she looks back at him again as he moves back to where he'd been sitting previously. He was almost through her first page, when he felt her foot gently kick him in the hip. Chuckling, he nudges her hip with his own foot, and after she glanced back with a smile, they went back to what they were doing.

She still uses too many commas, and after reading the paper, Nixie moves several of her books to the other side of the bed so Jordan can lay down next to her. On his back, he shows her the sections in her paper that need to be broken into more sentences.

It was during one of those lessons when Noshiko knocked and stepped back inside. Even Jordan hadn't realized just how long they'd been in the room. Noshiko brought them each a plate of Chinese to eat, and asked how it was going. Nixie drops her head onto the bed and says, "If I could cure myself of my need to use commas instead of periods, everything would be wonderful. Alas, I think I'm cursed for all eternity."

Then she lifts her head to look at Jordan and says, "FYI, that means you have to read a lot of papers in the near future." Jordan simply laughs and says, "Wonderful. Something to look forward to."

Noshiko smiles gently at both of them, and then steps back out to let them work. In the kitchen, Ken looks at her and asks, "Well? What on earth could he possibly still be doing here? They had to have finished eating." Noshiko raises an eyebrow at her husband and says, "The way you talk, you'd think Nixie was your own daughter."

Ken relaxes a little, but then says, "I can't help it. I'm as anxious as everyone else is to learn about these scars she's been hiding. Does she have any idea that we're all planning to see them? All of us?" Noshiko shakes her head, "I don't think so. Nor is anyone telling Parrish." "Why wouldn't we tell Jordan?"

Noshiko laughs and says, "Because we are, basically, going to make Nixie put herself on display for us so we can see all she's been through. Who knows what she'll have to do to show them all to us. Lydia says she has it worked out… but I doubt Jordan will be very pleased with the idea." Ken nods, "Right. Good plan." "Exactly. Now come on. They're fine in there. Jordan is helping Nixie get rid of all the commas that I've heard you complain about."

And now Ken laughs, "Ah, yes. She does have too many commas. She had a sentence once that took up a third of the page. Just one sentence. And I mean… technically it made sense. But still, it should've been broken up more than that." "Exactly. So let them work. They're fine."

It was getting dark outside, and Nixie is so close to finishing. So close. But the lines are finally beginning to blur on her computer. Technically she could still type it out, if she was careful. But she wouldn't see her mistakes and be able to back up over them and fix them.

Jordan, still on his back next to her, looks up at her and asks, "Hey. What's wrong?" "Oh, nothing." "Nixie…" "It's nothing. I just… everything's blurring together now. I've stared at the computer screen too long." Sighing, rubbing at her eyes, she says, "I just need a minute."

Jordan smiles gently, and then says, "You need to rest a bit, Nixie." "I will. I really will. I just… I have to finish this. They're all due tomorrow." Jordan nods and rolls enough to be on his side. Wrapping his arm around her, hand gently squeezing her opposite shoulder, he says, "You're almost done."

She nods, and then smiles when she feels Jordan press a kiss to her shoulder. He did it almost without even thinking. As he lays back down, he looks to her face again to find her biting her lip.

Nixie looks at him in surprise when he groans as he drops his head back onto the bed. Throwing a hand over his eyes, he sighs, "Nixie… You're killing me here." She frowns briefly, but then realizes what he's talking about. Letting it slip from her teeth, she says, "Sorry." Jordan lets out a short chuckle, and then says, "I just… need you to try. Until Friday." "I am." "I know."

Smiling down at him, Nixie looks him over. He was dressed in street clothes again, a dark green t-shirt and black jeans. His jacket was at her desk for now, along with his boots that he'd been told to remove before he put them on the bed. He looked handsome… hot… tempting…

And comfortable. And maybe that wasn't a word most people used and meant as a compliment. But he did. He looked warm, and comfortable, and inviting.

Jordan heard her push her computer away, and he was about to uncover his eyes to see what she was up to know. But he jumped a bit in surprise when he suddenly felt her head land on his chest. Scooting closer to him, resting a hand lightly over his heart, Nixie curled up towards him. Sighing tiredly, she says, "Just… please wake me up. Just a few minutes. I…"

His arms encircle her, one hand holding her side, the other resting over the hand she has on his chest. Sighing himself, feeling rather at peace with her in his arms, he says, "I'll try. Promise." "Okay."

When Noshiko comes to check on them again, she sighs in relief. Nixie's lack of sleep, or ability to function on so little, was something she still couldn't fathom, even though Kira had tried to explain it. Even so, she'd known the girl was about at her limit.

So what if she was lying in bed with Jordan. At this point, Noshiko would take Nixie sleeping, in whatever way she could get it. Which is why she closed the door softly, and told a curious Ken that they were still working on her papers.

And it wasn't just a few minutes. Nixie slept peacefully for the next hour, and when she woke, she was still loath to move. Snuggling closer to the source of warmth, she felt Jordan shift slightly, and then his arms tightened a little around her. And Nixie couldn't help but grin when she heard the sleep in his voice as he said, "Sorry." Shrugging, Nixie says, "It's okay."

They lay there a moment more, and then Nixie sighs and says, "I have to finish this stupid paper." Jordan chuckles and says, "Okay." Sitting up, resting on her elbow above him, she then says, "You make a rather nice pillow. Just FYI." Jordan laughs again, but finds himself unable to argue with her about it.

Her hair was a bit of a mess, which was probably his fault. He'd run his fingers through her hair for a while before falling asleep himself. And she still looked a little tired, clearly still trying to wake back up. But the brightness of her eyes was still there, and she looked beautiful.

And she was still wearing his shirt. He hadn't mentioned it when he first came in. He'd wanted her to focus on her work. But now she was waking up, a hot mess, and in his shirt.

She could call him whatever she wanted to. He just didn't want her to move yet.

When he doesn't say anything back, Nixie blushes a bit under his intense gaze. Ducking a bit, she says, "Okay. Um… I should get to work." Jordan nods, and when she finally moves and pulls her computer back towards her, he says, "You've almost got it, Nix."

Smiling over at him, Nixie finishes up her paper in three more paragraphs. Then she lets Jordan read them and show her where to best break apart a couple of sentences. And then he laughs when she thumps her head down on the bed in relief, closing her laptop with finality.

When Ken, worried again about what they might be up to, comes to check on them shortly after that, Jordan is gathering up the trash in the room. Nixie is telling him not to, and that it's not his problem. Jordan just gives her a look and says, "I'm driving past the dump on my way home. Just let me get the trash." Then he nods to Ken, who nods back and leaves them be, satisfied again.

Jordan has just finished gathering it up, when he feels Nixie's arms wrap around him from behind. Resting her head against his firm back, Nixie sighs, "Thank you, Jordan." Smiling, Jordan places one of his hands over hers, and answers back, "Always, Nixie." Her soft laugh, muffled against his back, is her reply. And Jordan chuckles before turning around to face her.

She stifles a yawn with her hand, and then shrugs and says, "Now I guess I'll try to go back to sleep." Jordan nods, though he can't help grinning when she yawns again. He couldn't help it at all. She was beautiful to him. And utterly adorable.

And still in his shirt, which he finally determines to be sexy as hell. He knew she wouldn't agree with him… but after they finally have their discussion, she was simply going to have to get over it. Whether she agreed or not, that's what he thought she was. And it didn't hurt that this time, she didn't actually need to be wearing his shirt. It was proof that she simply enjoyed wearing his clothes.

He's suddenly very happy that he never got rid of those shirts. Reaching forward, he gently cups her neck in his hand. Nixie's eyes widened initially, but then closed as he leaned over towards the opposite side of her neck. The warm air that left his mouth washed over her skin, and Nixie relaxed even further into him.

Jordan waited until she was completely at ease, and then whispered in her ear, "And before I go… I just think you should know. My shirt, looks really good on you."

She froze instantly, and Jordan chuckled at her reaction. Then he laughed harder when she punched him in the chest for obviously doing it on purpose. She was laughing too though when he pulled back, and then said, "Um… thanks. Okay, um… I'll see you later? I'll probably definitely be at the station tomorrow, so…"

Jordan nods, but he's not finished yet. Taking her by the arm, he guides her back to her bed. Moving her still scattered books out of the way, he settles her down and covers her back up. And then he tucks her in again, the same way he had the night she'd stayed at his house.

She might've blushed from all the attention, if she weren't so tired. In any case, her eyes begin drooping instantly. But as Jordan makes to leave, he pauses when Nixie's hand takes hold of his. Setting down next to her a moment, he smiles when she says tiredly, "Thanks, Jordan." Leaning down to press a gentle kiss to her forehead, he says, "Always, Nixie. Always."

* * *

Nixie is surprised by how quickly the rest of the week seems to fly after that. It's amazing how fast time goes by, when you don't have three huge essays looming over your head. She still had work to do… but compared to the papers, Nixie found it easy.

And every day after school, she would take up a position on the couch that was near Jordan's desk. Well… until he got there and gave her a look before moving her books to the cleared off section of his desk. When Thursday rolled around and he found her on the couch again, he told her he would have it moved if she insisted on being so difficult. Nixie didn't want to be in his way… but it was becoming very clear that Jordan never considered her to be 'in the way'.

Noah, though not totally against it, still kept an eye on them from time to time. And it was on Thursday that he finally caught Jordan just outside the bullpen. "Look, Jordan. I know that in the realm of supernatural, things are different. Stuff is going to happen that can't be explained. And other things are going to happen because… well, they apparently just need to happen, according to Lydia."

Noah points towards where Nixie is at the desk, and then crosses his arms and says, "But don't, for a second, think I don't see what's going on between you two." Jordan nods in understanding, but then says, "I get it, sir. But… honestly, right now. Nothing is happening. Yet."

Noah was a little surprised by the honest answer… but he supposes he shouldn't have been all that shocked. Jordan was his best officer, and an honorable and moral man. If he lied, it was out of necessity. And the man rarely did.

Still, Noah raises an eyebrow and asks, "Yet?" For the first time, Jordan was finally the one trying to ward off a blush. He'd known this conversation would come eventually. It had been explained to him by everyone at this point, that Noah was, basically, Nixie's father. He was the strongest fatherly figure she had ever known in her life. And Noah was certainly living up to that role now. Jordan's kind of wondering when Noah's gonna pull out a shotgun and threaten to kill him if he ever hurts Nixie. He'd already been threatened by Stiles. Not quite as severe of a threat, but it was there, nonetheless.

Steadying himself, Jordan says, "We… Nixie and I are going to talk. Friday. We're going to… figure this out. Figure something out. But not before we talk." Confused, Noah asks, "Why Friday?" Jordan chuckles and says, "Because, right now, she's very concerned with passing her math test tomorrow. And on making sure all the others can pass it as well. I swear, if they get anything less than a B, she's gonna be pissed. Well, she said Malia could get a C, and she'd still be happy."

Noah finally chuckles at that, and then reaches out and puts a hand on Jordan's shoulder. Squeezing gently, he says, "As… well, I'm sure Stiles has told you that I'm her honorary father." Jordan nods, and Noah continues, "As her dad… I know you're good for her. In ways that her friends can't be. In ways that even the rest of us adults can't be. Plus, Stiles and Lydia have been informing me of how wonderful they think you two are going to be together. Anyways, I see all that. And I get it, I do."

Jordan blushes again, and harder this time. Then Noah says, in a sterner tone, "All that aside, I'm still the sheriff, and she's still seventeen. So… whatever you two finally figure out. Whatever solution or plan you end up going with… Don't let me see it. Especially not here. In private, it can be different. But here… or anywhere that someone outside of this group might see you… you had both better be careful."

Jordan nods in understanding again, and then can't help but grin when Noah adds, "And yes, I own a shotgun. And I will shoot you, if you hurt her."

When he gets back to his desk, he looks at Nixie in confusion for a moment. To his knowledge, nothing had happened to her recently, and yet she was blushing a bright shade of red, as though suddenly embarrassed about something.

Then he remembered that she could hear like the others. She'd listened the entire conversation Noah and he had just had.

Nixie hears him let out a scoff of laughter, and then blushes harder when he whispers, "It's not nice to eavesdrop." Huffing in annoyance, hating that she couldn't stop blushing for just two seconds, Nixie says, "It's not like I can always help it. I hear things. Always have. And FYI, it's also not nice to interrupt me while I'm in the middle of a rather difficult math problem."

Jordan leans over, intending to help. But then he pauses, and slowly brings his eyes back up to her. Tilting his head, a smirk growing on his lips, he asks, "Oh… you mean this problem? This one right here?" "Well, yes…" "The same problem you were working on before I left to have a conversation with Noah?"

And yep… there's the blush again. Jordan leans in closer, and to anyone else, it looks as though he were trying to help her with her math. But his lips turn towards her ear as he whispers, "I admit, you do appear to be stumped on this one. It hasn't changed at all, since I left."

Nixie is going to combust. That's what she decides. And Jordan does nothing to help. Chuckling, he then reaches over to put a finger on the paper. Which in turn, brings him even closer to her. Hot air rolls down her neck and it takes everything Nixie has to not tremble at how close he is to her. Then he whispers, "Let's see if I can help with that. Pretty sure this number goes here."

Nixie knows what to do. Math was one of her strongest subjects, biology being her first. But, rather than admit that and have him lean away, she lets him walk her through the rest of the problem.

She didn't even realize she was biting her lip again, until Jordan says, "Stop biting your lip, Nixie. Or Noah might actually end up having to shoot me." But he doesn't blame her when she can't stop right away. Because now she was trying not to laugh.

Jordan chuckles at her, and then turns back to his work before his brain short circuits and he does something stupid. Like kiss her, in the middle of the sheriff's station. Yeah, that would not go over well.

When it's finally time for her to go, after having packed up her things, she turns back to him. Brushing some her hair behind her ear, Nixie says, "Um… the lacrosse game starts at seven, I think. So… um… I guess I can come by, around six? Will you be…" Jordan runs a gentle and soothing hand up her back and says, "I'll be here. I'll be ready."

Nodding, Nixie then smiles and says, "Thanks, Jordan." Grinning back at her, he says, "Nixie… Always."

* * *

And now it's here. Friday. The day that will, in all likelihood, end by putting a smile on Nixie's face. A revealing conversation, a solution to the fact that Nixie was still seventeen, a lacrosse game to attend, and maybe afterwards, she could convince Jordan to let her visit at his house again. All in all, plenty of good things to look forward to.

And yet, here she stands, nervously debating over which outfit she's going to wear. Well, not the whole outfit. Her dark-wash jeans and boots were a given, as usual. As was her jacket, which had since been mended again, thanks to Lydia. So the real debate was just about which shirt she was going to wear.

She had one of Jordan's shirts pulled out, a black one with his name written across the back. And then she had the shirt ensemble that Lydia had come over earlier to help her pick out. A dark blue camisole, with a prettily designed trim; and a black, low-cut, button-up vest to go over it.

Obviously, Nixie knows which one she'd rather wear tonight. Jordan's shirt was comfy, even if it was technically too big for her. And aside from that, Jordan had already told her, quite recently, that he enjoyed how she looked in his shirts. That being said though, Lydia had come over and declared that Jordan needed to see more than just how good she could look in his shirt. He needed to see how sexy she could look in more fitting, more fashionable clothes.

Nixie didn't point out that Jordan has already seen her torso in nothing but a bra. If he was going to consider something sexy, then Nixie figures it should be that, just based on the lack of clothing she was wearing. She didn't point it out, because she didn't want Lydia to revamp her efforts in the fashion department. Lydia had come over and raided her closet, and was keeping herself incredibly in check with what she was picking out. She wanted Nixie to look sexy… but she didn't want her to be uncomfortable.

So, in that sense, Nixie is simply grateful that Lydia hadn't picked out a dress and some high heeled shoes. And the camisole and vest weren't all that terrible. Nixie just didn't understand how they made her seem all that sexier when Jordan had already seen her in less. But, Lydia declared that the outfit would make her look 'sexy as hell'. She also declared that if Nixie didn't wear it, she would no longer be giving out fashion advice.

Nixie's immediate response was to remind Lydia that, as far as Nixie was concerned, there were worse fates. But she had caved with a laugh and conceded to think about it.

And though she was extremely worried that she wouldn't be able to stop blushing if Jordan kept looking her over… she put the camisole and vest on, and then grabbed her jacket and went out the door. Everyone else was either already at the game, heading to the game… or in Scott and Kira's case, trying to have a real first date.

And Nixie still can't believe Scott and Stiles didn't tell her about the huge ass bag of money that they'd hidden under Scott's bed. On Wednesday, she'd come in to Scott's house with him, both intent on studying for the math test. And they'd found Melissa at the kitchen table, the bag of money there for everyone to see.

Nixie's not really mad that Scott kept it so long. She's not really mad at all. She just wishes that they'd told her. Yeah, she would've told Scott to give it back to Derek. Or… maybe just get Derek to hide it so Peter could never find it again, if it all belonged to Peter. Nixie wasn't psyched about giving it back to that sociopathic nut-job.

But all Scott's worries about the roof of the house, the electric and gas bills, Stiles' MRIs, the Eichen House payments… Melissa explained that she and Noah knew that Nixie was working overtime to wrap up those loose ends. The gas company had over-priced the bill the last two times they'd come. Nixie triple checked her findings before marching over them to have them fix that. There wasn't much she could do about the electric bill, except offer her own money towards it.

Melissa didn't accept that, but appreciated it nonetheless. And as for the MRIs and Eichen House bills… well, those were in the works too. Eichen House was proving easier than the others, simply because Brunski had tried to kill them all in there. Noah seemed to think it was ridiculous that the building thought they would sue for what happened.

He found out later, however, that Nixie threatened to sue them for all they had, owned, were worth, and would ever be worth. And he's sure her eyes hadn't hurt the situation, glaring at whatever poor man she'd been arguing with until he caved. And as for the MRIs, Noah was going to have to pay a little out of pocket money for that. But not a penny over what his coverage said he had to. And at this point, the man in charge of handling their policy didn't even try to argue anymore when she called on the phone. He just asked what page he needed to turn to so he could verify what she was saying, and then promised to fix everything.

So… yeah, Scott didn't need his huge back of dead pool money from Garrett. Not while he had Nixie.

As Nixie prepares to slip on her helmet, thankful that this week is finally over and she can spend some time just relaxing with her friends, she pauses when she hears a voice behind her. "Well… I have to say. Peter made it sound like getting to you would be so hard." Nixie turns to see Kate standing there. And as she comes out of the shadows, so do three of her berserkers with her. Smirking, Kate says, "But this… well, it's almost too easy. In fact, it's rather disappointing."

Nixie stares a moment more, and then says, "Well… I certainly wouldn't want to disappoint you." And with a hard crank of her bike, she takes off down the road. But she can already hear from behind her that Kate has cranked up another vehicle to follow her in.

It takes longer than Kate will ever admit. Nixie's willingness to nearly fall off her bike with how steeply she was willing to turn… it was causing all kinds of problems. Not to mention the speed that Kate was forced to go to try and keep up with her.

In the end though, Nixie finally had to turn at a point when Kate was close enough to see the opening. When Nixie was driving straight in front of them, she was a narrower and easily missed target. But when she turned, she became a wider target.

When Nixie hears the shot of gun going off, from a shotgun judging by the sound, Nixie is braced for whatever pellets or shrapnel might hit her as she speeds around the curve. But it doesn't hit her. It hits the rear tire of her bike. And as it blows out and metal tears across the pavement, Nixie loses control. Her steep turn immediately goes into a slide across the road, Nixie falling off and tumbling and rolling after her bike and into the ditch nearby.

She would've gotten up… would've run on foot into the woods. But her head had slammed against her bike in her tumble, and as she struggled to get to her feet, the world tried to spin out from under her. She can't get her feet to cooperate… can't get them to find the solid ground again so she can run.

Nixie was prepared to crawl, to try and hide in a nearby yard or something, when both of her arms were grabbed. Two hands on each bicep, she's lifted easily into the air and carried back towards the road. And no matter where or how hard she kicks, Nixie's efforts are useless against the berserkers.

Kate appears in front of her swimming vision. Popping the trunk of the jeep, Kate grins evilly at Nixie. Wiping a smudge of the blood from Nixie's forehead, Kate says, "Peter sends his regards by the way. He has a… very symbolic way he wants you to die. So don't leave us just yet, sweetheart. Because even I am going to get a kick out of this."

Then she says to her berserkers, "Put her in. Tie her up. And one of you keep your eyes on her at all times."

Nixie is thrown into the back carelessly, her hands and ankles bound after her head thumps against the hard floor of the jeep.

The last thing she sees before finally blacking out, is one of the berserkers looking down at her… his head tilted at an angle that almost makes him seem more curious than threatening.

Almost.

* * *

To say Jordan is getting worried, would be an understatement. Nixie said she'd be here at six. He'd made sure he took off work, and was outside by his SUV, waiting for her bike to come rolling up any minute. He'd been waiting for fifty minutes. And the latest he'd ever heard Nixie to be, was maybe five minutes late when it came to the people she cared about.

They still needed to have a talk, but he wasn't stupid. He knew that he mattered to her. So something was definitely going on. But with the dead pool out of the way, he couldn't see what the problem was now. At least, not a problem that would make her this late. Certainly not a problem that would keep her from answering her phone. He'd taken to calling every five minutes, and not once had she answered. He's left voicemails, sent texts… nothing in response.

And he knew her rules by now. Unless she absolutely couldn't answer the phone, she answered the phone. If he'd called her in the middle of her math test, she probably still would've answered the phone. At six-fifty-five, he's about to call again, when his phone rings instead.

It's not Nixie though. He has her number saved in his phone. Tilting his head, he answers and says, "This is Parrish." "Parrish! Thank God! Do you know where anyone is?" Blinking in surprise, Jordan asks, "Stiles? How do you have my number?" "Nixie gave it to me! And that is so not important right now! Do you know where anyone is?" "What do you mean?" "I mean, do you know where anyone is?! Scott, Kira, Nixie! All the people I've been trying to call and who are not answering. I've tried Nixie, like, thirty times in the past hour, and I got nothing. Which is not good! Very bad! No one is where they are supposed to be!"

Standing up from leaning against his car, Jordan asks, "What do you mean? Where is everyone supposed to be?" "Kira and Scott are supposed to be at the game by now. And even if their date went that perfectly, they should still be here by now. And Nixie is supposed to be with you. Which, judging from your tone of voice, it doesn't sound like she is. And she's not answering her phone. She always answers the phone. Four in the morning, tired as hell, she'd still answer the phone. I am worried. Very worried!"

Nodding, Jordan says, "Listen, keep me posted if anything changes. I'm going to head back the way Nixie should've come and see if she maybe ran out of gas." Stiles sighs and says wearily, "She wouldn't let herself run out of gas. Just… let me know if you find her." "I will, Stiles. Let me know about Scott and Kira." "Alright."

He doesn't find her, or her bike, on any road that she might've taken from Kira's house to get to the station, or to the game. Widening his search after that, he finally finds her bike. And the sight he finds before him has his heart stopping in his chest.

It was crashed in a ditch near an entrance to the preserves. A narrow entrance at that. A car couldn't get in this way. But Nixie's bike could have. She'd clearly been trying to get away from something… or someone.

The fact that it was crashed wasn't even the worst part. It was how it had been crashed that scared him more. Because the tire at the back wasn't just blown. Pellets from what Jordan assumes was a shotgun, are stuck in some of the metal rim. And what scraps are left of the tire look more blown up then a simple tire blowout would make happen.

Nixie was in trouble. Worse yet, she was nowhere in sight.

And even worse than that… her phone was lying in the ditch near her bike. All of his and Stiles' messages left unread and unanswered.

It takes him a minute to decide the best course of action. Clearly a crime had been committed. But… this was also clearly not a situation that the sheriff's office was going to be able to handle. Something told him the thing they would be dealing with would definitely not make sense to anyone outside the realm of the supernatural.

Finally, he returns to his SUV, and backs up close to her bike. Lowering the backseats, he loads her bike inside, and then takes off again.

He drops her bike off with the mechanic, telling them to fix anything that might be wrong with it, and then gets back behind the wheel to think. Nixie's phone was with him, so tracking her via GPS was out of the question. The only other people who might know where she was, even if she weren't in danger, had no clue where she was either. And, from the looks of things, Scott and Kira were nowhere to be found either. Something was definitely going on here. Something bad.

And given that Meredith was back at Eichen, Jordan could only think of two other names that he'd been told of recently. Two people still out there that Nixie definitely did not trust. One was Kate Argent, and the other was Peter Hale. And Jordan didn't have a clue where Kate might be, or how to find her. But… he did know where Peter was. Ever since the interrogation with Meredith, Jordan had been keeping tabs on him, trying to figure out what else the man might be up to.

With no other leads to really follow apart from that, Jordan heads for the entrance to the sewers, where he knows Peter has continuously been going all week. Parking and turning everything dark and quiet, Jordan pulls out some binoculars, and he waits. Because as much as he hates it… that's really all he can do at this point.

* * *

When Nixie wakes up, it's with the incredibly dissatisfied knowledge that she was, in fact, kidnapped. Stupid Kate and her stupid berserkers. Nixie would have to make sure Chris taught her how he'd ever managed to kill one of those things in the first place. It was clearly something she needed to know.

Nixie takes a moment to adjust to the darkness within this place, which takes a surprisingly short amount of time, even compared to her normal. She knows already that her hands are shackled and stretched above her head in a 'Y' shape. Her lets are shackled the same way, though not quite as spread apart. So she sort of looks like an awkward 'X'.

Then she realizes that she's back in this damn church in Mexico, where Derek had been buried before the school year started. Huffing, Nixie mutters, "Great. I don't even know what I am yet, and she's going to try and strip it away from me too."

"Not quite, sweetheart." Nixie jerks her head to the right, where she sees Kate step inside the doorway to this particular room. Smirking as she looks Nixie over, Kate says, "You see… Peter finally figured it out. He finally figured out exactly what you are. And with that clarity, he finally understood why he would never be able to get to Scott… so long as he would have to first go through you."

Nixie raises an eyebrow and says, "Yeah. Good luck with that." "Oh, Peter agrees. In fact, he told me we couldn't possibly succeed with our plan anymore. Not unless we took you out of the picture first. That's why he sent me and my berserkers to get you before we did anything else. Peter considers you a very real threat, despite being a late bloomer."

Nixie scowls at her and says, "Your new boyfriend sure is brave. Sending you to do all of his dirty work. Kidnapping a girl with half his size and strength." Kate chuckles and says, "Half his size, maybe. But half his strength? No, I don't think so." And when Nixie looks confused, Kate says, "Oh, you really have no idea, do you? Sweetheart, when you punched him last week, you didn't just hurt him. You dislocated his jaw in the process."

Nixie's eyes widen in response to that, and Kate nods before saying, "Oh yes, dear. You have power. Truly untapped potential. And if you weren't such a goodie-goodie, I'd say it was a shame that we needed to kill you. But… if you're a threat to Peter, than you're a threat to me as well."

As Kate steps closer, Nixie hardens her gaze and braces herself… prepared for whatever this bitch might come at her with. But Kate simply laughs and says, "Oh no, sweetheart. I'm not going to be the one hurting you." Glancing back at one of her berserkers in the doorway, she says, "He might. But, that depends entirely on how quickly you give in to the inevitable."

Frowning, confused once more, Nixie says, "You just said Peter wants you to kill me. To get me out of the way. If you aren't going to hurt me than what the hell are you going to do? Stare me to death?" Kate scowls slightly, but then calms herself down. Smirking a little, she says, "I'm supposed to kill you. I never said how it was to be done. And if Peter is correct about what you are, then he has a more… poetic way, that he wants you to suffer and go out in. You see… if he's correct, then he knows the one true weakness you really have."

Nixie couldn't really comprehend what she was talking about. Here she was, chained up in a deserted church, in the desert, in Mexico. How much more vulnerable and weak could she possibly get? Glaring at Kate again, Nixie says, "You should just do it yourself. Because heaven will most certainly not help you if I live through this and find you again."

Kate laughs openly at her, and then comes closer and says, "You know what? I'll even tell you what Peter thinks you are. He thinks…" Kate pauses for dramatic effect, which only causes Nixie to roll her eyes. Then she finishes, "That you're a dragon."

A dragon? A dragon. An actual, freaking, dragon?! Nixie stares at her for a moment, and then gives her a look and asks, "Seriously? Seriously. Are you actually, completely, being serious with me? We not only have wolves, foxes, cannibals, and wailing women. But we also have, dare I say it… dragons?" Kate nods, slightly thrown by the sudden calm that has entered Nixie's voice. But she quickly recovers and says, "According to Peter, at least. Dragons… well, I won't bore you with the details, since you'll be dead long before you'll need any of it."

Laughing, Kate adds, "Peter says that you have very little family of your own anymore, and what little you have is… well, deranged." Nixie feels a snarl try to climb out of her throat at that, but she holds it in. Then Kate says, "But you care about everyone in your pack as though they were your own flesh and blood. He's seen how you've hurt for them, protected them, willingly thrown yourself before them, offering yourself in their place… if it means you can save them. He knows that you would kill for them if you had to, and die for them without a second thought."

Smirking, she says, "And that's one of the key ingredients about you, that has led him to believe that you are, in fact, a blue dragon. Consequently, even as dragons are already rare, blue ones are exceptionally rarer still. And they are the most protective of all dragons. They are the strongest, and hardest to kill, because of how much they are willing to sacrifice to keep those they love safe. And that is why Peter says we have to kill you now, while we still can."

Nixie glares again and asks, "And just how exactly does he plan on doing that, since you aren't even allowed to hurt me apparently?" But Kate still smirks and says, "By exploiting the one weakness that a blue dragon has. By playing on the one fear that even you, deep down, have had all your life. Aside from losing your people. Aside from not being able to protect them. He wants to play on the one fear that is completely and totally your own, for yourself."

Nixie remains confused for all of a second, but then Kate whispers, "Being alone."

Nixie hadn't really been self-aware of that fear. She'd never really been alone. Her mother had gone to Eichen when she was young, and there was a time-period there in which she'd been lonely. But she'd met Stiles shortly thereafter, and hadn't been alone since. So the fear wasn't really something she'd ever acknowledged, or even known to exist.

But when Kate said it… Nixie could feel her heart clench, as though the words were somehow a poison to her very being, and her heart was trying to contract in on itself, keeping away from that poison. And though she tries to hide it, Kate can see the realization enter her eyes. Chuckling, Kate says, "You hate the idea of being alone. Of being completely and totally forgotten by those that you would die for. You hate and fear that one day, you may not matter to any of them, the way they have always mattered to you."

Walking to the other side of Nixie, she says, "It's a deep-seated fear. One I'm sure you never really even considered, until just now. One that you probably think is stupid. At least, the human side of you, thinks it's stupid. But the dragon half of you doesn't understand that yet. It doesn't understand that, just maybe, your friends won't hate you for what you are, and what you will become if you happen to live."

In front of Nixie now, Kate smirks and asks, "And I wonder still… what might Jordan Parrish think, when he finds out just what you are?"

The temperature in the room plummets down immediately, but Nixie still glares and says defiantly, "We have dealt with worse things. And you are right. It is stupid. I know I'm not alone. I've never been alone."

But as she says that, she can hear Kira from somewhere in the church, shouting, "Scott! Scott!" Kate glances over worriedly for a moment, but then smirks and comes back to Nixie. Peter had told her that she had to plant a seed of doubt in Nixie's mind, and plant it firmly in order for this to work. So, as a final touch, Kate says, "But you see? She's not here for you. She's here for Scott. I'll bet that she doesn't even know that you've been missing for two whole days already. I bet she'll never know that you're down here at all."

Two days? Nixie glances at Kate, trying to discern if that was true or not. She didn't think it was… but Kate always had a deceitful air about her. Sometimes it was hard to tell with her, what was truth and what was false.

Kate smirks again, and then steps away to leave the room. Glancing back, she says, "We'll see how much longer you last now that you know just how worthless you really are to them." And with that, she walks out, barring the doorway with a heavy slab of rock, leaving Nixie alone with nothing but her thoughts, and one of the berserkers for company.

Two days? Nixie had to think about that again. She didn't think it was possible for her to already have been gone for two days. She'd hit her head hard, but not that hard. And even if she had already been gone for two days, Nixie reminds herself, "Doesn't matter. Derek was gone for months, and we still managed to find him. They will find me."

A thought at the back of her mind pops up against Nixie's will. The reminder that she'd heard Kira already, running around within the church. Shouting for Scott, but not for her. But Nixie shakes her head, trying to clear it, and says, "No. No, she probably just doesn't know that I'm here. Maybe Kate kidnapped her as well. Hell, she probably kidnapped Scott too. Maybe right after she knocked me out."

It was a sensible thought, and it gave Nixie hope. Nodding to herself, she says, "They'll find me. Everything's gonna be okay."

The berserker in the room steps closer to her, but she simply repeats to herself, "I'm gonna be okay."

Then a long claw is brought down, and though not deep, the cut he tears into her right thigh makes Nixie wince. Gritting her teeth, glaring at the berserker before her, she says, "They will come for me, and I will be fine."

The berserker leans down closer, right in her face. And the dark intent of his deep voice actually sends a shiver up Nixie's spine when he says, "We shall see." Nixie hadn't even known these things could speak at all. Now that this one had, she really hopes she never has to listen to them ever again.

* * *

When Peter finally left the next morning, Jordan was both relieved and anxious at the same time. Relieved, because something was finally changing. Anxious… because he didn't know what the hell that meant yet.

Stiles and Lydia had been keeping him updated all night. And it wasn't just Nixie that was clearly gone and taken. After the game, Derek had returned to his loft to find it in shambles. Windows busted in, bullet casings everywhere… the place was a mess. And blood was all over the place, and everyone knew that if Kate and her berserkers were involved… well, let's just say it wasn't looking good for Scott and Kira.

Discarding his uniform, leaving him in just his dark red shirt and jeans, Jordan takes out his gun and carefully enters into the sewers.

Things were finally changing. But Jordan still can't believe his eyes when he finds, not Nixie, but Chris Argent in the sewers. An old steel piece of rebar is protruding from his abdomen, and is curved in such a way that Chris can't move the damn thing, and it's keeping him trapped and secured to the wall.

Chris glances up at him when he hears Jordan coming, and then says wearily, "They're gone." Jordan steps in further, still looking around for signs of trouble. But after a minute, he holsters his gun again. Taking note of all the blood Chris has already lost, Jordan asks, "How long have you been like this?"

Shrugging weakly, eyes closing in an exceptionally long blink, Chris says, "I don't know. Might've blacked out a few times." Jordan stares at him a moment longer, still kind of shocked by the scene. He'd known this 'Peter' guy was bad news. Nixie and everyone had told him enough times to get that idea permanently engrained into his brain. But still… this was awful.

Of course, he also recently discovered that the worst scar on Nixie's stomach is because of what Peter had done to her. And if this is what Peter had done to Chris Argent… who knows what he had planned for Nixie and her friends.

Looking over Chris again, Jordan asks, "Peter Hale did this?" Chris nods, and then looks up at Jordan curiously and asks, "You were following him?" Jordan nods, "Almost every day, ever since Meredith Walker."

Chris nods in understanding, and then takes a breath before trying to speak again. "Listen to me. Kate's going after Scott. Might already have him. Peter and Kate… together. You've got to warn them." Jordan sighs and says, "They do already have them, if Stiles and Lydia are right." Frowning, Chris asks, "What about Nixie? Surely she…" Jordan tenses for a moment, and then runs a worried hand through his hair before saying, "I'm pretty sure they got to Nixie first."

Sighing, Chris says, "They knew… they knew they'd need her out of the way if they wanted a chance to get to Scott. She never… would've let them…" Taking in another breath, trying to keep himself awake, Chris says, "Warn the others. You have to…" Jordan shakes his head, "I can't. There's no service down here." "Then just go."

Jordan gives him a look, and then says, "If I leave right now, you'll be dead by the time I get back. And besides, I don't even know where I'd be going." "The church." Blinking, Jordan asks, "What?" "Kate would be taking them to the church. It's where they found Derek, buried in Mexico. La Iglesia. The church." Jordan nods in understanding, but then looks over Chris again.

Shaking his head, he says, "We're getting you out of here." "Parrish, you need to…" "I can't go after them on my own. I'm new to this and not in any way prepared to handle what I might find. And aside from that, I don't have a death wish." At Chris' confused expression, Jordan says, "I'm pretty sure Nixie would kill me if she found out I just left you here to die. I've already been slapped in the head by her once. I'd rather keep it at just the one. So come on. Let's get you out of here."

* * *

The doctors at Eichen House were just talking about moving Deaton, in his comatose state, to the sixth floor. That's when Lydia walked in and said, "You're not taking him anywhere." The doctor turns to her and says, "Well, unless you're a family member, I don't really think you can make that decision."

Lydia shrugs and walks up to the bed and says, "We're close enough. Let me talk to him." Sighing, the doctor says, "He's not responding to any stimuli. If you want to talk to him, that's fine. But we have no way of knowing if he's hearing anything we're saying." Lydia nods, but then says firmly, "Trust me on this. He'll hear me."

After they finally leave the room, Lydia takes a seat on the edge of the bed. She presses her lips firmly together for a moment, and then sighs and says, "I… still don't really know what I'm doing. It's mostly just… a lot of instinct and… gut feelings." Looking over Deaton, she adds, "But Nixie has always told me… not to overthink these things. So when I felt like I had to come back here… I came."

Leaning closer to Deaton, speaking in his ear, she says, "My best friend is missing. Her motorcycle was shot to hell, and on top of that, Scott and Kira are gone too."

When Deaton still doesn't respond, Lydia huffs in frustration and says, "Peter is up to something. He's hurting the people that matter to me… and you know Nixie would never stand by and let that happen. Now, I don't know what you hoped to accomplish by coming here. I don't know if it was just about Derek, or if it was more than that. But we need you back now. We need you to help us figure this out, so we can stop Peter and Kate. Because I have already lost one of my best friends. I am not about to lose my other one. So wake up, Deaton. Wake up!"

She hadn't actually expected it to work… but no sooner had she shouted it in his ear, then Deaton suddenly shot up in the bed. Gasping for air, he glances around himself for a moment to gather his bearings. Eyes landing on Lydia, staring for a moment, he then begins moving and says, "Come on. We have to hurry."

As she follows him out of the building, Lydia asks, "What do you know?" "Plenty. Kate has them all at the church. And we need to hurry if we're going to save them all in time." "Nixie can handle Kate." "Nixie is being tortured."

He opens the passenger door of his car for Lydia, but turns to find her frozen in place a few feet away. Coming back to her, Deaton says, "Lydia, I promise you, she can take it. But she is running out of time." "What do you mean? Nixie… she's as tough as they come." "Physically, I would have to agree. And mentally as well. But I know what she is now, and we are running out of time." "What is she?" "Lydia…" "Deaton, just explain it!"

Pausing for a moment, Deaton then sighs and says, "I… am not certain of Kate's whole plan. But one part was made very clear to me. And that is how she is trying to kill Nixie. And I'm not even sure how Kate discovered this possibility, but I do know that she wants Nixie to die in a very certain way, specific to the creature Nixie is turning out to be." "What way is that?" "By giving in to the one true fear her supernatural half has."

Deaton puts his hands on Lydia's shoulders and says, "Nixie is a gift, Lydia. To all of us. Same as Scott being a true alpha, is a gift to us. And as far as Nixie goes, there are very few things in this life that actually frighten her. Most of the things she is afraid of, revolve around her ability to protect all of you, the people she cares about more than anything."

Holding up a finger, he says, "But, her supernatural half has one very real fear. A fear that is solely Nixie's own, and has nothing to do with the rest of us." "And what's that?" "Abandonment. The feeling and reality of being totally and completely alone. And not just because she's left alone… but because the people who matter most to her, have suddenly ceased caring for her in return."

Lydia blinks and says, "But that's stupid. Nixie knows we'd never…" "Yes, I'm sure Nixie does know. But Nixie is rare… rarer than even I thought to imagine. And as such, she comes with a different set of rules. I don't know them all. But I do know that before she and her supernatural half become one; before they are in sync, the threat of abandonment will remain very real for the supernatural half of her. It's why Kate stole her away now, this early in the game she's playing. Not just because she needed to so she could get to Scott. But because she knows that now is her best chance to kill Nixie."

A tear falls down Lydia's cheek, and she asks softly, "What is she? How do we find her?" "Kate has them at the church. That's where you'll need to go. And… as for the other question." He pauses, and then says in a proud voice, "Your dear friend is a dragon, Lydia. And not even just any dragon, which would already be rare. No… Nixie is the rarest, even among her kind. She's a blue dragon."

Pulling her forward, Deaton says, "Now come on. I didn't go through all of this so I could figure that out and then be too late to save her. We have to talk to the others. Come on."

* * *

Jordan has been trying for the past hour to remove the rebar from Chris' stomach. But it's no good. He can't pull it from the wall, so he'll have to bend the bar so Chris can slide off of it, painful as that might be. But even that is proving impossible. Panting as he stops, Chris' pained screams becoming too much, Jordan says, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I… I can't do it myself. It's not bending back and it's not coming out of the wall."

Hands on his knees, trying to catch a breath, he snaps back upright when Chris says weakly, "Leave." Shaking his head, Jordan says, "You know I can't do that either. You mean too much to her." And even though he is very aware that he needs to try and get to Nixie, as fast as possible, he also knows he can't leave this man here to die.

Jordan can feel it though. He's not even sure how he knows, or what he'd call what he's feeling. But she's in trouble. More trouble than she's ever been in. And he needed to find her. Like… somehow he knew, it wouldn't be enough if just her friends… her pack, found her. He needed to be there. There was something he was going to need to do to help her.

What that was, or why he felt it so strongly… Jordan doesn't have a clue. But even with all of that… he can't leave Chris. Standing up straighter, looking Chris in the eye, he says, "I need you to help me. I know you're hurt and you're tired, but I need you to gather everything you've got and help me."

Chris just shakes his head, so tired at this point, and says, "I've got nothing." Putting a hand on his shoulder, Jordan says, "Grab the bar, sir." Chris looks up at him, struggling not to break down right here and now, and says sadly, "I've got nothing left. Please… just go. You're running out of time. You need to save her."

Jordan doesn't argue with that, but he also doesn't leave. Looking over Chris again, he says, "You know what you need? Adrenaline. There's two ways to get it. Fear and anger. And since you don't look like a guy who's afraid of anything, you need to get angry. You need to get so angry, that your brain lets loose every bit of adrenaline is has left." Chris sighs, slumping what little he can against the wall. Then he admits, "I'm too tired to be angry."

Running a hand through his hair, Jordan then says, "Okay. Look, I… I don't know much about you or what you've been through. But Lydia and Nixie did tell me some of it. And I know about Alison. I mean… I knew before, but I understand it all better now. And I know… I know how she felt about Scott."

Hand on Chris' shoulder again, he says, "More than that, I know how she felt about Nixie. I know that Nixie, to Alison, was the truest friend she'd ever had. And I know your daughter looked up to Nixie, and loved her like a sister."

Standing back, he says, "And I think if Alison knew what was happening to Scott and Nixie, and to the rest of her friends… she'd be pretty angry. At least angry enough to try one more time, to get the hell out of here. So whatever trigger you need. If it's Alison, or your sister, or Peter. Use it."

When Chris opens his eyes again, Jordan can see the resolution solidifying in his gaze. He was ready… ready to give it one more shot. Grabbing hold of the bar with Chris, Jordan says, "Use it right now!"

And together, they begin bending the bar. Chris screams and yells in pain, but also in frustration and anger now. And as they continue working with the bar, Jordan can feel the sudden change in his eyes, a shift in their color; and he can feel a sudden surge of strength sweep through him as they finally straighten the bar out completely.

As soon as Jordan finally gets him off the wall, he helps Chris out of the sewer and into his SUV. Hopping in, Jordan says, "Alright, let me get you to a hospital, and then…" "No. Do you have a first aid kit in here?" Jordan reaches back for it, and then says, "Here. But you really need…" "What we need is to find Nixie. And I know enough that I can use what's here to keep me alive until later. But right now, go." "What about Stiles and Lydia?" "Don't worry. They and everyone else are probably already well on their way."

And as he drives under Chris' instructions, Jordan can only hope that they're not too late. They can't be too late.

He can't lose her.

* * *

Chapter 11! Just two more guys. Is the suspense killing you? I already know everything, and it's killing me. I promise, I'm working on it as fast as I can. :)


	13. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: "I do not own Teen Wolf. The show, the characters, and any quotes from the show belong to Jeff Davis and his amazing team of writers. I only own Nixie, and anything I make her do or say."

* * *

Chapter 12: Episode 4x12

As Malia and Peter are driving down the road, right in front of the transport van where Liam, Derek, Stiles, and Braeden are; Peter is trying to convince Malia that it might become necessary to take a life. Malia looks at him and says plainly, "Scott says we don't kill people." Peter offers a small grin at that, and then asks coyly, "Do you think that Scott would kill to save Kira? Or would you, kill to save Stiles?"

Malia simply gives him a hard look, and then glances out the window at the moon. When Peter asks what's wrong, and she tells him it's the moon beginning to affect her, he says, "Good. You'll need that power." Malia doesn't respond, so Peter returns to his earlier question, about if Scott would kill if it meant keeping a member of his pack safe.

Slightly annoyed now, Malia says, "I don't know." Peter nods to that, backing off a little bit for now. But he pauses when Malia concedes, "But Nixie would. She'd burn the whole city to the ground, if it meant saving us."

And Peter can't help but feel rather smug inside. Nixie was the pressure point he would have to push on, in order to convince Malia to kill someone. And he considered it a wonderfully terrible kind of irony, that Nixie would be the thing that helped him convince Malia to kill their beloved Scott McCall.

* * *

Nixie's mind was trying to betray her… play tricks on her. Thoughts that she would've never had on her own, suddenly started slowly easing their way into her brain. Thoughts of abandonment… of being left here while the others went on their way home after finding Scott and Kira. Thoughts of not being missed. Of simply being forgotten.

The other half of her mind knew it was stupid, and Nixie was struggling for dominance over this other presence that she suddenly felt within her. It wasn't a new or foreign thing. It was something that had always been a part of her, living within her. But… as fear took hold of it, as the seeds of doubt started sinking in, the supernatural side of her suddenly took on a more apparent presence. In her mind, suddenly it actually seemed like a possibility; that her friends weren't looking for her just as fiercely as she would've been looking for them if she could.

Gritting her teeth, she says to herself, "They are coming for me. They're coming. I'll be fine."

And Nixie knew what the berserker's purpose was for remaining in the room now. Any time he thought she was gripping tightly to hope again, he hurt her. And when no one came to try and stop it, doubt seeped in again. The cut on her thigh was a small taste of what he was willing to do. He'd also punched her in the gut, sides, and face… all in an attempt to wear her further down.

Now, upon hearing her verbally say she would be fine again, he steps forward. Hand clamping down over her mouth, he then takes one of his bone claws and begins carving into the other side of her stomach. Now she had another crescent shaped scar, this one on the left side, and larger in size than Peter's. Still not as bad as Peter's. That scar had gone deep, and the cut was crude and meant to be difficult to patch up.

But the berserker wasn't trying to kill her with his claws. He was simply trying to reinforce her doubt. So the scar on the left side was more shallow, and cleaner.

Didn't mean it hurt any less. Hence the hand covering her mouth, so as to muffle the scream that left as he slowly carved the shape into her skin.

Nixie makes a mental note that if she doesn't speak her hope aloud, the berserker is likely to leave her alone. So she would have to try and not verbalize it very much.

Which was going to prove hard to do, if she couldn't get a freaking grip on her supernatural half.

As the berserker pulls back from her, Nixie pants and glances down at herself. Her vest had been removed long ago, making for easier access to hurt the rest of her. And as blood trickles down her camisole and to her jeans, Nixie glares at the berserker, who is back to his post against the opposite wall. Snarling almost, Nixie says, "You're going to die very badly." "We shall see."

It was apparently the only phrase this one knew how to say. Maybe he was the only berserker that could speak at all. Nixie doesn't know. She doesn't care. Closing her eyes tiredly, she is left with no choice but to return to her thoughts, which brings no rest. The mental war within her own mind is actually much more exhausting than the physical battle she is facing on the outside.

The voice of doubt creeps in, still very much her own… but at the same time, very unwelcome as it thinks, _"They're not here."_ Nixie grits her teeth and shouts back at herself, _"They're coming!" "But it's been two days." "We don't know that. And even if it's true, it just means that they don't know where I've been taken yet. But they are working on it, I know. They are coming." "But Kira is already here. We heard her earlier. And she's not here for us. She's here for Scott." "She was kidnapped along with Scott. Which means she probably doesn't even know we're supposed to be missing yet. When the others arrive, they'll tell her, and they'll find us… me."_

Sighing, Nixie says to her doubtful side, _"We will be fine." "We're going to die down here. We're going to die alone and forgotten."_ Nixie huffs and says, _"If you would just use logic and reason, you'd know that I'm right." "If we had become one, I could do so. But we cannot, and we shall never be, because we are going to die here." "Oh, shut up! We're going to be fine. Just shut up!"_

Doubt subsides slightly. The supernatural half of her settles for a bit, like a berated child who had been put in timeout. But Nixie knows it won't last. She's done this all night and all day, ever since she'd gotten here and Kate had left her alone with the berserker. And every time she wins that small victory… the timeframe in between that battle and the next one approaching, keeps getting smaller and smaller. Eventually, she wouldn't be able to convince her other half to just be patient.

Perhaps she was a dragon. Nixie didn't really want to rely on the word of Kate Argent. It felt all kinds of wrong. But… she couldn't deny that what Kate had said… it was happening. She could feel the thoughts of abandonment, of loneliness… she could feel hope fading and being replaced with those things. She could feel her body and mind trying to turn on her, the supernatural half trying to give up, when the rest of her was nowhere near ready to do so.

In some way, maybe this explains why she always wanted to know where everyone was, at all times. She wanted that information so that, within a moment's notice, she could be with them, and they wouldn't be alone. Maybe she had always felt that way, because in her subconscious, she knew what being alone could do to her. Even if none of her friends were in danger… she had never enjoyed the idea of them being alone for too long. And as a consequence… Nixie had never been alone for long, because she had always ended up with them. And maybe this was why.

Maybe it all boiled down to the fact that, deep down, in her subconscious… Nixie had always known what would happen if she spent too much time completely and utterly alone. Maybe she'd always known, on some level, that it had the potential to kill her, ridiculous as it may sound to the rest of her mind.

As a tear slips from the corner of her eye, a weariness settling into her body, Nixie hears the berserker against the wall say again, "We shall see."

* * *

When Jordan later realized that they weren't heading for 'La Iglesia' right away, he'd wanted to get mad and demand that Chris simply tell him how to get there. They needed to get to Nixie, and they needed to get to her immediately. Things were getting worse for her, he could feel it.

But he took a moment to remember that he wasn't the only one here who cared about Nixie. They all did, and they all wanted her back alive. So if Chris wasn't guiding him to the church first… then there had to be a good reason. So, rather than yell, he asked what that reason was.

Chris took a moment to simply look over at him, and then the first thing he said was, "Nixie was right. Your patience is something else." Jordan grins a bit at that, and then Chris says, "As for why we're heading here first… because we need more firepower. And earlier in the year, when this was all getting started, the Calaveras approached me. As hunters, we have a code, kind of universal for all of us. It says, 'We hunt those, who hunt us'."

Looking out the window now, Chris says, "They came to try and remind me what that code was and what it meant. And it's not a bad code, when enforced properly, as the Calaveras have always tried to do."

Jordan nods, but then says, "But you have a different code now." Chris looks back over at him, and then grins a little before saying, "Yes. I'm guessing Nixie told you that." "Yeah. She and the others have been trying to get me up to speed on everything." Nodding, Chris says, "Good. The new code was Alison's, and as far as my family goes, I think it suits me better. 'We protect those, who cannot protect themselves'."

Looking out the window again, Chris says, "Araya tried to remind me of the old code and what it meant. They wanted me to help them hunt down Kate and bring her to an end. And at the time, I turned them down. But now… now we're going to see if they're willing to make a deal." Jordan glances over and asks, "What kind of deal?" "The Calaveras aren't typically the kind of hunters to interfere with affairs of the supernatural… not until those affairs begin affecting the livelihood of the normal, human people in this world. But, if I offer my services in helping find Kate, we'll see if I can convince them to help us put a stop to Peter and Kate right now."

He guides Jordan to eventually stop outside of a three story building, music thumping from the inside. It seemed an odd place for the cartel version of hunters to conduct business, but Chris was certain they were here, so Jordan didn't question it. Werewolves existed… he shouldn't be surprised by some of the other weird occurrences that he would be witness to from now on.

As he was waiting in the vehicle, his phone rang with a number he didn't recognize popping on the screen. Answering, he says, "This is Parrish." "Excellent. Jordan Parrish, my name is Doctor Deaton. Nixie gave me your number to have, should I ever need it." Jordan smiles a bit and says, "Yeah. She seems to have given it to everybody. What to you need, doctor? I should warn you first that I'm not in Beacon Hills right now. Any help you need from me might be hard to get."

But Deaton says, "No, no, not at all. That's perfect actually. You're on your way to help the others save Scott, Nixie, and Kira?" "Yeah." "Excellent. In which case, there is something you need to know. Well, two things. The first is that Kate is planning on turning Scott into one of her berserkers. I believe she took Kira as well to see if, after she turns Scott into a berserker, if his friends will still be able to tell it's him." Jordan nods, and then asks, "And the other thing?" "It's about Nixie." "And what's that?" "She's a dragon."

Jordan blinks for a second, because of all the things he'd expected to hear, that wasn't one of them. Tilting his head, he asks, "A dragon?" "Yes. And don't ask how I know that. I'm not even entirely sure how it worked myself. But I know what I saw and what little I could overhear in the vision I was given. And Nixie is a dragon."

Nodding, Jordan asks, "Does that help her? Does that mean she'll be okay?" "Not necessarily. In fact, right now, it may be what's killing her." Sighing, Jordan says, "Nixie told me you have a tendency of taking your sweet time getting to the point sometimes. I need you to be faster right now. I'll apologize later, but…" "No, I understand. You're right. What I'm getting at, is that because of the kind of dragon Nixie is, she is running out of time. Every supernatural creature has a weakness… rules they are bound by that cannot be broken. For werewolves, ashwood, mountain ash, and wolfsbane are some of those rules and weaknesses. For Nixie, these may apply in the future as well, I can't be sure. But I do know that Nixie's weakness… is being alone."

Jordan frowns in confusion and says, "She's not alone though. She knows…" "Yes, Nixie knows that she is not alone. She always has known. But for those who are supernatural, there are always two halves of a whole inside of them, at all times. For werewolves, the man and the wolf are either always struggling for power, or working together towards their greatest strengths. For Malia, it's the human half, and the coyote half. For Kira, it's half human, and half fox. For Nixie, it's half human, and half dragon. And right now, it's the dragon half that we need to worry about. Nixie, on her own, knows she is never alone. The dragon however, is an incredibly visual creature. And if that half truly begins to feel abandoned… well, there is only going to be so much that our Nixie can do before that half wins."

Running a hand through his hair, Jordan asks, "Why is this the fear specific to Nixie? You said it was because of the kind of dragon she was? What does that mean?" "Nixie being a dragon at all, is a rarity, Jordan. It's a gift to us all, far more than I think we will ever truly be able to appreciate. Dragons are not born through bloodlines, and they are not bitten. They are born out of circumstance, and develop within a person who possesses the qualities most agreeable with dragons."

Jordan can practically hear Deaton smiling on the other end, as he says, "Nixie is rarer still, because she is a blue dragon, Jordan. She is the strongest and most resilient of dragons. The most fierce, and in lore, the most feared and the most loved by those around them. Loved by all those who can call a blue dragon a friend, and feared by all those that would be stupid enough to call her an enemy. Because Nixie is not fierce in the sense that she gets angry quickly, or that evil people should fear coming up to her on a normal day. But Nixie is fierce in that, if you threaten anyone that she has decided to care about, then you will receive no mercy from her."

Deaton takes a breath and then continues. "It really makes so much sense, now that I've taken the time to consider it. Nixie has always, since everyone has ever met her, been the most protective person in the group. And not just of her friends in school… she's protective of everyone. Of Noah, Melissa, and even me and Chris, who she shouldn't have to worry about, because she's a teenager. She's the kid, it's our job to worry about her. And even beyond that, I'm sure by now you know that Nixie has a tendency to jump in front of the bullet for her friends, so to speak."

Jordan nods. He knew all too well, just what Nixie was willing to take for her friends. Deaton says, "Blue dragons are the most protective in existence, and the most powerful as a reflection of that. They have to be, in order to withstand all that they're willing to face and take, in the interest of protecting those that they love. And all of that is completely Nixie, but it is also why the blue dragon found a home in her. And it's also why you have to get to her fast. All dragons have a weakness, just as all supernatural creatures do, as I said before. And the weakness of a blue dragon, is that feeling of loneliness. The feeling of not being wanted or cared for by the people she would so willingly die for."

Sighing, Jordan says, "But Nixie…" "Yes, Nixie knows otherwise. And it's probably why she's still alive at this point. Her resilience is astounding. But there is only so much time she will be able to buy for herself, arguing with the voice within. Kate knows what her one true weakness is, and has already planted the seeds of doubt in Nixie's mind. And you and I both know, Nixie's mind runs in a thousand different directions at any given point in time. She'll be arguing with the dragon within, trying to convince that other half that it's stupid to be so worried about something she knows to be ridiculous. But… if the dragon truly begins to feel alone and abandoned… she will lose hope. The feeling of emptiness that is already beginning to grow inside of her, it will consume her, until there is nothing left."

Freezing in place, Jordan asks, "What do you mean, nothing left?" "Being lonely isn't just a weakness for Nixie, Jordan. It is the one fear that a blue dragon has, that can actually kill it. No weapons needed, no poisons or threats. Just that one fear… and if left alone long enough, she will succumb to it and die."

Silence reigns on both sides of the phone for a moment, and then Jordan glances over to see Chris stepping out of the building, along with a small army of Calaveras. Into the phone, he says, "Thanks, Deaton. We're going as fast as we can." "Please save our friend, Jordan. If losing Alison managed to cripple us all for a while, then losing Nixie will surely break us." "I'm on it."

Chris gets into the backseat this time, another man moving beside him to try and reapply the bandages on Chris' stomach. Araya climbs into the passenger seat next to Jordan, and then says, "Drive. Take us to La Loba."

Jordan glances back at Chris, who nods and says, "Jordan Parrish, meet Araya Calavera. Head of the Mexican hunters, the Calaveras." Jordan nods to the woman, and then hurriedly begins driving up the road. Chris then asks, "Who was on the phone?" "Deaton." "Did he have any good news to offer?" "No. Well… not really. Not right now, anyway." "Of course not. Why am I not surprised?"

There's a pause, and then Jordan sighs and says, "According to Deaton, Kate is turning, or may have already turned, Scott into one of her berserkers." Chris sighs and says, "Damn it." Jordan nods, and then takes another moment to consider what he's about to say. He glances at the woman to his right, and then glances at Chris in the rearview mirror. Chris meets his gaze, and then nods and says, "She's no danger to Scott and his pack." Jordan takes another moment to consider that, and then says, "Deaton says that Nixie is a dragon."

The woman next to him turns her head sharply to look at him. Then she says, "She is not old enough to be fully realized yet. How does he know this?" "I don't know. He said not to ask. He just knows that Nixie is a dragon." Araya nods and asks, "Does he know what kind? What color?" "Deaton said blue."

Chris leans forward, ignoring the man tending to him for a moment. Then he asks, "Are we sure Kate has her? And does she know what Nixie is?" Jordan nods and says, "He says Kate is trying to kill her using the one true fear of a blue dragon. The fear of being completely alone."

All is silent for a moment at that, and then Araya says, "Drive faster." Jordan steps on it, switching gears and speeding into the desert at high speed. Glancing over, Jordan says, "I thought hunters didn't concern themselves with the supernatural creatures that weren't bad guys." Araya nods, but then adds, "Typically. But all those with any sense would concern themselves with the livelihood of a dragon. And the rarest of dragons, nonetheless."

Chris looks over at her from his seat in the back, and then asks, "You knew?" "I hurt her alpha. It was enough to draw her true nature to the surface, enough for me to see what she really is and will become. And it was enough to make me ashamed of my actions, Christopher."

To Jordan again, she says, "Drive faster." And even though he was already going far faster than should be considered safe, Jordan pressed the pedal down harder again, praying and hoping that they would get there in time to save her.

* * *

It's dark again outside when Nixie hears the first gunshots go off. Lifting her weary head, she tries to yell and see if anyone can hear her. But her entire body just feels so drained of energy… she's not sure she'd reach a level of volume that would make it count.

The lapses of time between her internal arguments were down to minute intervals. She barely got a break anymore, before that doubtful voice inside began questioning what she was so sure of again. And even with gunshots nearby now, that voice rose again, saying, _"They're not here for us." "You don't even know who 'they' are. Just shut up." "Who else would be shooting at berserkers?" "So, we can at least agree that it's our people." "They aren't here for us." "They know that we're gone by now. At this point, they have to. Stiles and Lydia know that I wouldn't have just disappeared while Scott and Kira were in trouble. They know I was taken too. They are looking for all of us." "They won't find us. They'll find Scott and Kira. And then they'll leave. And we're going to die alone down here." "No, we are not! Just shut the hell up!"_

Gritting her teeth at herself, trying to feel anything other than this overwhelming sense of emptiness that has been trying to take over for a while now, Nixie scrambles in her mind for another way to force hope back into her system. She needed a focal point. Someone or something to focus her energy on, to ground her hope in. And since none of her thoughts or words seemed to be registering with her supernatural half… she needed something more physical… more visual, before she could try and reason with herself again.

Ironically enough, Nixie's gaze fell onto the berserker in the room. He was the enemy. He was meant to hurt her when it seemed she was letting hope win again. He was a pain in the ass and Nixie hopes that, before this is all over, somebody finds a way to kill this one.

But… the fact that he was still here meant that she still had a chance of not dying. It meant that he, and Kate, knew all too well that the others would be coming for her. The berserker was there for the sole purpose of trying to make her die, to lose all hope, before they could reach her. That was his goal. To speed up the process of her dying, so her friends would be too late.

His presence in the room, while a nuisance and a threat… it was also the thing that Nixie used to force some of that emptiness to ebb away. The dragon could argue with her all it wanted, but Nixie knows she's right about this. He was here to destroy her hope, and to help her die before the others could arrive. Which meant he was fully aware that they were on their way.

Smirking, Nixie says to herself, _"See?! Now shut up."_ There is no response this time, which Nixie takes as a good sign. Smiling wider, Nixie says, "They are coming. I told you they would."

Her hope wanes ever so slightly, when instead of hurting her right away, the berserker steps up to her and simply gazes at her, a curious tilt to his head again. Which meant that Nixie was getting worse than she thought. If she was right… the berserker wasn't quite certain that she was actually hopeful again. He might've thought that she was simply trying to confuse him.

The doubtful voice says, _"He doesn't…" "No! No, just shut up! God, if any of the others ever doubted that I was coming for them, I'd slap them so hard, they might actually get a concussion. I know they're coming, so you have to know they're coming. So shut up and help me piss this giant asshole off. I am not dying here! We are not dying here!"_

Glaring at the beast before her, Nixie says, "I told you they were coming. You cannot break me." And with more energy finally surging through her veins, Nixie shouts, "Stiles! Malia! Scott! Anybody! I'm in here!"

The berserker then grips her side and pulls her further away from the wall. Nixie feels the claw at her back touch just beneath the other long scar she already had back there. The other one had already healed at this point. At least, for the most part. But now, this berserker tore into her skin and dragged a new and identical wound beneath it.

As he nears her other side, Nixie finally screams a bit from the pain. It still wasn't as bad as what Peter had done to her. Nothing would ever be that bad again. But damn it, it hurt! Tears running down her cheeks, frustration and pain rolling through her system, Nixie finally screams out for the one person that she wanted most to find her.

"Jordan!"

* * *

The firefight outside grew more intense by the second. And with Derek dead, along with several other of the Calaveras at this point, Kate laughs maniacally before saying, "You're next, Araya. I'm coming to kill you next." Araya simply draws out her knife, along with her own electrified baton, and says, "Come, La Loba. Let me show you how the Calaveras die."

But as Kate was about to charge, and honestly, probably succeed in killing Araya, a lone howl broke through all the other noises of the night.

A solid black wolf then leapt over a broken slab of stone wall, and moved to Araya's side in defense. And though Kate roared at it, clearly thinking she could take a mere wolf… her confidence vanished when the eyes of the wolf suddenly glowed a bright blue at her. Then it charged towards her, and for all Kate's berserkers and jaguar skills… she was no match for the black wolf as he came at her, claws tearing and teeth ripping into her.

When it finally backed off, Kate considerably weaker and not shifted at this point, she turned back to see Derek materializing before them, shifting out of his wolf form to show who he was to everyone else. Staring at him in horrified confusion, Kate says, "But you… you were dead." But Derek shakes his head and says with a smirk, "No. I was evolving. Something you'll never do."

And as one of the berserkers rushed towards him, trying to defend Kate, Derek dodged his attack and then grabbed hold of the skull covered head in his hands. And to everyone's amazement, Derek actually, literally, crushed the skull between his hands. The berserker shattered as a result, the armor falling uselessly to the ground without a body to wear it anymore.

Kate, terrified, scrambled to her feet to try and get away. That's when Chris, finally using the special bullet he had made, filled with a rare and more potent version of wolfsbane; fires at Kate. It hits her hard, and the force of it, compacted with the potentially poisonous substance, not only knocks her back, but slams into her and throws her back onto the ground.

Turning over, eyes finally turning a little sad, she asks softly, "Chris?"

But at his hardened gaze, Kate knows she can't rely on his sympathies to spare her. Struggling to get to her feet again, she asks, "You wanna kill me? Your own sister? For them? They killed Alison!" Chris glares harder and says, "Alison died saving her friends. Who would you die for?" Kate glares back and says, "You won't kill me."

But to her surprise, Chris levels his gun at her and says, "I will if you don't tell me where she is. Where is Nixie?" Smirking, Kate says, "Good luck, Chris. You'll never find her."

And with that, she sprints back into the church, into the catacombs beneath, and hurries back to the one berserker she has that is still surviving. The one keeping guard of Nixie.

As she rushes into the room, removing the stone slab out of the way, Kate says to the berserker, "Come on."

He releases Nixie immediately, and Kate comes forward to get a look at her. They might not have gotten Scott. She might not have won anything else this day. But as she looks Nixie over, bleeding, crying, and mentally broken enough at this point, Kate smirks and says, "At least I did manage to kill you." Backing away, she says to the berserker, "Handle my brother while I get out of here. Let's go."

At Kate's words, Nixie lifts her weary head and says, "No. No… you can't… he'll kill Chris." Smirking again, Kate says, "Yep. Now come on."

But as weary as she was… as broken as she felt… and as conflicted as she and her other half were on the idea of being alone… they still agreed on one very important thing. Chris, like the rest of them, were still hers. They were her pack, her friends, her mentors, and her allies. They belonged to her, and therefore, they were still hers to protect.

And they could both also agree that, if Chris had to face off against the berserker alone… that thing would kill him. And that was unacceptable.

She was still chained to the wall. She couldn't move, follow, or leave to help Chris and her friends. But in spite of all the doubt, all the brokenness and emptiness that she feels inside… Nixie can still feel a small surge of energy return to her body. She can feel her eyes shift, the talons on one of her hands extend. And in a raspy and rougher voice, Nixie shouts, "NO!"

When people think of dragons, they think of fire-breathers. That's what everyone thinks… even Nixie, when she'd first heard it. And yet, she knows it shouldn't come as a great surprise when, rather than fire and heat leaving her… freezing cold and ice comes out instead. Where the room usually always shot down several degrees when she was upset or worried, the sudden plummet into sub-zero temperatures is the most drastic change she's caused yet. Everything in the room around her began freezing over, ice forming on every surface, and within every crevice in the walls and floor.

Her body, likewise, becomes even colder than it normally does. So cold that, this time, Nixie can actually feel it, whereas she usually just felt normal.

And if that wasn't enough, after her roar and shout, freezing air and ice shot out of her mouth and towards the retreating berserker. It honestly looked like blue flames were leaving her lips… except there was nothing hot about it. The force of it shoved the berserker back to his opposite wall, pinning him there.

When Nixie is finally finished, slumping in exhaustion, she looks up to see the berserker now trapped, completely covered and coated in a thick layer of ice, snow, frost, and even icicles. If she weren't still so consumed by doubt, she might've laughed.

Kate stares at her immobilized berserker in horror. Now she had none left. But before she can say another word, Nixie looks over at her and says, "Deal with your brother yourself, you coward. Or face me, if you dare." But as Nixie makes to roar again, Kate sprints from the room, leaving her behind.

For a brief moment, Nixie sighs in relief, basking in that small victory. Chris would be safe. He could handle Kate, Nixie knows that much.

But after that, doubt creeps back in. The emptiness she'd felt before rolls back over her system in a new wave… a stronger wave. And Nixie no longer had the berserker's presence to ground her. He was there… but it obviously wasn't by choice anymore. And Kate had just said that she had, at the very least, managed to kill Nixie in all of this. Meaning that Kate was quite certain she was going to die. She'd been about to take her berserker and leave Nixie to rot in this place.

Nixie was alone. Most of the sounds from outside and above ground had stopped now. She couldn't hear people talking, or guns going off. She didn't hear anyone running around, shouting and trying to find her. It was quiet. It was cold.

Nixie shakes her head and says to herself, _"You just have to give them a minute. They just defeated Kate. Give them time." "We are alone." "Give them a minute. Please. They just need…" "Even if they bother to look, they won't find us. We are alone. We are going to die, alone."_

And though Nixie tries to argue further, she can feel her weariness growing to new heights. She was bleeding, hurt, and more exhausted than ever. And as the emptiness continued taking over, Nixie felt as though she were being hollowed out. Not like when Alison had died, when she'd felt like part her very being had been ripped out of her body. No, this was different. It was like everything that made up who she was as a person, as a being on this planet, was slowly being stripped away. As though she were being removed from this plane of existence. Because what good did it do her so stay, when she was alone.

The edges of her vision begin blurring and going black, as she slowly begins succumbing to this form of death, exactly as Kate and Peter had predicted.

* * *

Jordan couldn't explain it really. After Peter had been collected and trapped in the back of the transport van, Stiles had pulled everyone back together. He was trying to form a grid search pattern, so they could cover more ground looking for Nixie, hopefully finding her as quick as possible.

But Jordan didn't wait for him to finish. Jordan also didn't understand how he knew where he was going, when he'd never been here before, and had no clue where all these tunnels went. But he'd known Nixie was in great danger before Deaton had explained it to him, and he'd been right. He'd also known that they needed to find her quickly, and he'd been right.

He trusts that, hopefully, he'll be right again. He moves down tunnel after tunnel, taking turns and rounding corners with a sureness that didn't match his lack of knowledge of this place.

But none of that mattered, as he finally spotted a room that didn't match the others he'd seen before. They were in a desert. Even underground, the dryness and heat could be felt.

The room he'd just spotted, however, had ice coating the frame of the entrance. That was what Scott and the others had mentioned, when explaining some of the things that made Nixie 'not normal'. When she was upset, worried, or really felt any heightened emotion, the world around her became colder. Chills swept through the air, and storms occasionally started brewing.

Which, if the storm clouds that were gathering outside gave any indication, Nixie was definitely in bad shape. And as he steps into the room, he can't help but wonder what it meant when it wasn't just cold, but when the entire room was literally frozen over in a layer of ice.

And then he sees her, hanging by her wrists from chains that extend down from the ceiling. Her body slumped and weak. Blood pooling on the ground beneath her, soaking through some of her clothing. And she looked much paler than usual… certainly much paler than Jordan was comfortable with her being.

Rushing inside, Jordan shouts aloud, "I found her! Somebody get down here! She needs help!"

From outside, Scott had been listening to Stiles with the others. Chris had just asked the question, "Where is Parrish?" That's when Scott jerked his head to the side, hearing Jordan shout that he had found her, and that she needed help. To Derek, Scott says, "Help me find him. Everyone else stay here! Jordan has her. We'll have her out in a second."

Back in the room, Jordan wraps an arm around Nixie's waist, lifting her up slightly so she wasn't hanging directly from her wrists anymore. Reaching up for one of them, the frost and ice making the metal more brittle, he struggles to try and get her loose from these chains. As her head falls back, body still limp in his arm, Jordan says, "Nixie. Hey, Nixie, can you hear me? I need you to wake up for me, Nixie. Can you do that? Nixie, wake up."

Nixie, for her part, feels lost in a very deep fog at the moment. And it wasn't until she heard his wonderfully warm voice that she felt like there was anything inside of that fog with her. Confused, she opens her eyes hazily.

To Jordan, it breaks his heart to watch her try so hard to perform such a simple task. It looked as though it were taking every last ounce of energy she had, just to open her eyes and look at him. But she does manage it, and then she simply stares at him for a moment.

There's still a deep haze over her eyes though, and Jordan isn't sure what to make of that. Not until she smiles in a shaky and sad way. Then she says, "I think… there are probably worse things to see, when you're about to die. There are worse ways to go." Shaking his head, Jordan says, "Nixie, you're not…" "I just want one last thing before… before I can't…" "Nixie, listen to me, you are not…"

But she cuts him off. Nixie manages to get her feet underneath her again, and uses what little energy she still has to push herself closer to him. And before Jordan could finish his statement… her lips landed against his.

For his part, he's too shocked at first to understand what's happening. Here Nixie was, dangling from the ceiling; bleeding, broken, and clearly at the end of her rope. And apparently, all she wanted any more was to kiss him.

After that initial moment of shock though, Jordan felt her lips move a little against his, and he couldn't help it. Sighing against her lips, he kisses her back, tilting his head to give her better access… to give her whatever she wants right now.

When she pulls back, head lolling back again, tears are falling down her cheeks once more as she cries softly, "I don't want to die."

Jordan wraps his arm more firmly around her as he feels her slipping again. Holding her close, he says, "Nixie, you are not dying. Nixie, come on. Look at me, alright? You're not dying. Now come on, you've got to help me out here." But she's done responding. Her eyes are closed again, her body limp once more… and if possible, her skin starts becoming even paler. Struggling with the chain at her left wrist again, Jordan shouts, "SCOTT! GET IN HERE!"

Jordan does manage to release one of her wrists before Scott rushes into the room. And Scott can't help pausing for a moment, staring at the ice and frost and even snow that coats the entire room. Then he rushes over to Jordan and breaks off the other cuff and those that are around her ankles. Seeing all the blood, he curses, "Shit. We need to get her back outside. Come on." Jordan scoops Nixie into his arms and follows rapidly after Scott to get back out of the catacombs.

Being in the sunlight again doesn't seem to help though. Liam is looking up at the sky, and he finally asks, "What is with the clouds? They'd rolled in and rolled back out, like, four times since we've gotten here already. What gives?" Stiles rushes over with the others to surround Nixie, and then says, "It's her. I… it's got to be her. Right?"

Scott doesn't argue, nor does he care to figure that out right now. He simply looks up at Chris and says, "Get Deaton on the phone. Do it now." Chris had no sooner pulled out his phone then it started ringing. Looking down, he says, "It's Lydia." Scott nods and says, "Answer it."

Swiping to answer and then setting it to speaker, Chris says, "Lydia, you have everyone listening. What's up?" "Where is Nixie?" Chris looks down to the ground, where Jordan has carefully laid Nixie, then he says, "She's here. Still breathing, but barely. She… she looks pretty hurt."

Deaton's voice chimes in, "Can anyone see how many places she was hurt this time?" Scott looks her over and says, "Three. Once on her back, and it looks like her stomach and thigh got hit too. She's lost a lot of blood, Deaton." Stiles asks, "Could she just have passed out? From the blood loss?"

Scott nods, trying to grasp at that bit of hope. But Deaton says, "No, she's not that kind of creature. All dragons are prepared for that kind of pain. All dragons heal too, just not the same as other supernatural creatures. It's a slower process, and her wounds never disappear. Dragons as a race, usually bear their scars with pride. The more they have, the tougher they are known to be. The more experience they are seen to have had, and the more fierce they appear, because the scars represent all the battles they have so clearly fought and won. Her body scars as a reflection of all she's done to protect all of you, but she does heal. Blood loss wouldn't be the thing to make her lose consciousness, not at this age of her life."

Sighing, Scott asks, "Then what is this, Doc? What's happening to her?" "It's like I told Jordan. Kate planted the seeds of doubt in her mind, and it's been too long. She's succumbing to the belief that she is, utterly alone." Lydia voice then exclaims, "But she's not! She has to…" Deaton cuts her off gently, "Lydia, it is more complicated than that. I will explain later. Right now, we need to force that doubt out of her, before she actually dies. Chris? You said she was still breathing?"

Scott holds a hand over her mouth, feels the cold air touch his fingers lightly as she breathes back out. And before Chris can answer, Scott says, "Barely. And her pulse is weak, I'm barely picking it up with my ears. Deaton, what do we do? How do we show her we're here?" "That's for you, Scott." "How?" "You're her alpha. You always have been, even when you weren't officially an alpha. You should be able to call out to her. Order her to heal and to release this senseless doubt that her supernatural half is holding onto."

Nodding, Scott leans over closer, giving Jordan an apologetic look when he has to let Nixie go so Scott can get close enough. Taking Nixie's hand, Scott says, "Nixie, I need you to hear me. You have to wake up. You have to start healing. Understand?"

Nothing happens, so Scott glows his eyes a bright red. Letting his features shift so he's changed, he growls and says, "Nixie, heal. Now, damn it. Start healing. Nixie, wake up!"

Nothing.

Coming back to normal, Scott runs his hands through his hair and says, "Deaton, it's not working. She can't hear me." Deaton frowns as he meets Lydia's concerned gaze. Shaking his head, he says to her, "That doesn't make sense. Scott is her alpha. He should be able to reach her. The only thing that would trump Scott's ability to do that, would be her mate. He would be able to reach further… reach her consciousness without fail."

Lydia blinks in surprise and asks, "Mate?" And Stiles, over the phone, asks, "Wait! There are mates now?! That's a thing!" Deaton answers, "Actually, that is another thing that is specific only to Nixie. It's not even all dragons that have mates. It is, specifically, the blue ones. Because of how rare they are, and because of that specific fear and the potential power it may have over them, blue dragons have mates."

Stiles asks in shock, "So… we're talking the predestined, love them till they die, will feel like something's missing until they find them, type of mates?" And Deaton simply answers, "Yes. More importantly right now, if Scott can't reach Nixie, then we need to try and figure out who her mate might be, if we want any chance of waking her up."

Scott looks up at Stiles and asks, "Did she ever mention a mate to you?" Stiles flails his arms and says, "NO!" Deaton then adds, "Please remember, Nixie didn't even know she was supernatural until a short while ago. She's never known. She was never bit and wasn't born immediately into the world this way. The dragon only manifests later, when the child shows the qualities necessary for the dragon to exist within that person. Aside from that though, her powers and abilities shouldn't actually manifest and be fully realized until she turns eighteen. It's a true sign of how powerful she will grow to be, that so many of her supernatural traits are already apparent to us, when she still isn't eighteen yet."

Then he adds, "Bottom line though, Nixie probably wouldn't understand how to know who her mate is. But… it would be a person she was drawn towards from the very beginning. Someone who, without even knowing them, Nixie found herself liking. More than that, someone whom Nixie found herself able to trust, without even knowing who they were yet, or anything else about them. Someone who…"

Lydia cuts him off and says, "Jordan."

As he looks up at Chris and the phone, Jordan asks, "I'm here. What?" "No… no, I'm not asking you a question! I'm answering the question! You're her mate, Jordan."

At the moment of silence that follows, and at Deaton's curious look, Lydia rolls her eyes and asks, "Am I, literally, the only one with eyes for love in this place?" Back to the phone, Lydia says, "From the first moment she saw you, she knew she liked you. And I'm not talking about normal. She saw Kira, and after a moment, knew she liked Kira. Same with the rest of us. But with Jordan, she told me it was instant. There was no time needed for her to know if she liked him. She knew immediately."

Continuing, she adds, "She's wanted to call him by his first name since the beginning too. She only didn't because she didn't understand why she felt that way. She trusts him. Always has, from the very beginning. And you should've seen her last year when Kincaid knocked Jordan out. I've never seen her get so mad so fast about someone outside of our group getting hurt."

Then Lydia gentles her tone and says to Jordan, "She loves you, Jordan. I know because she told me. And I know because I've seen the way you two look at each other and react around each other. She loves you, and maybe has been in love with you from the very beginning. And you can make her admit that for herself later. Right now, wake my best friend up, so I can fuss at her for thinking we weren't coming to get her." Deaton's voice says, "Lydia, I told you it's more complicated than…" "Deaton, be quiet."

Scott looks over at Jordan, who is now looking down at Nixie worriedly. Putting a hand on Jordan's shoulder, Scott says, "Wake her up. Bring her back to us. Please." Then he looks up at everyone else and says, "Give him a minute."

Jordan knows that it's not much in the way of privacy. There's only so much Scott can do, and given that there are supernatural creatures amongst the group, it's not like they can't still hear him from where they've moved to.

But none of that matters. All that matters right now, is waking Nixie up, and getting her to heal and stay alive. And if he had the power to do that…

Leaning closer over her body, Jordan reaches down gently to cup her face in one hand. Thumb stroking her cheek, he says, "Nixie… Nixie, I need you to listen to me. Alright?"

On the outside, there is still no response yet. But in her own, fog-filled mind, Nixie hears his warm voice again. It cuts through the confusion and chaos that is her brain right now. And then she both hears and feels him whisper, directly next to her ear, "Lydia says you love me. And I'm not inclined to argue with her. You've told me yourself, she's verifiably a genius. And she's your best friend. She knows you almost better than you know yourself, so I'm sure she knows what she's talking about."

There's a familiarity in the tone of voice he uses next… an almost teasing sound, that begins forcing some of the fog in her mind away, when Jordan adds, "I'm still gonna wait until I hear you say that before I put all my stock into that idea. We still need to talk, and I'm not about to let you out of any of this."

He cups her neck in his hand, tilting her head just a little. Then he whispers in a deeper voice, "But what I do know for certain. What I am sure of, more than anything else I've ever known in my life… is that I love you." Smiling a little, Jordan sighs against the side of her neck and says, "I love you, Nixie Haven. I love you more than I ever thought I could ever love anything or anybody. You swooped into my life and you captured my attention, and then my affection, and then my heart. I am yours… so completely yours, that it's ridiculous."

Back to her ear, he says, "And you don't get to come in and do that to me, and then just die right here when I finally found you after these hellish last couple of days and nights. You do not get to do that. Not to me, and not to the rest of your friends." Lips right up against her ear, more earnest than he has ever been, Jordan says desperately, "So wake up, Nixie. Wake up for me. You start healing, you wake up, and you get your ass up off this ground so I can take you home. Nixie, do you hear me? Wake up!"

The fog had been slowly ebbing away as he spoke. But it was actually the bit of anger in his desperate voice that shoved the rest of it out. Because she knew why he was upset. It was the same reason she'd been so upset with herself. Because this was the most ridiculous way to die that Nixie could think of. Dying from a fear of being alone, when she so clearly wasn't. It was the stupidest thing she'd ever heard.

And as Jordan's voice cut through the fog, berating the dragon within her, Nixie says to herself, _"I told you so, you freaking idiot."_ And finally, the other half of her being admits, _"Yes. Yes you did."_

The sudden gasp that escapes her lips makes Jordan jerk back so he can look down at her. Nixie's eyes shoot open wide, silver encircled with blue, and oval pupils staring up at the sky. Her right hand has talons again, and as they bury into the ground beneath her, she arches her back off the ground. She takes a deep breath in, and then roars back out into the air. The sound is like that of what Jordan would imagine a dinosaur to sound like. Loud, far reaching, reverberating and raspy as it escapes her lips and extends out for everyone in the desert to hear for miles.

Slumping back down when she's finished, Nixie looks up and around her in confusion. Then she winces at the ache in her body. She feels as though she's just run a marathon… and one that she had prepared for in poor fashion, judging from how much everything ached and felt.

Her eyes then lock on Jordan, who is leaning over her again, eyes darting everywhere to try and make sure she's alright. She stares at him for a moment, so relieved to see him here. Then she asks, in her own typical fashion, "What the actual hell happened?"

Jordan can't help it. He laughs breathlessly at her. Dropping his head onto her shoulder, he sighs and says, "You almost died." "Yeah, I got that bit. Stupidest thing I've ever heard of in my life. And I've heard some stupid shit before, so that is saying something."

He laughs again, and then helps her sit up and wraps his arms around her tight. Smiling and hugging him back, clinging to him, she sighs and asks, "Help me stand?" He doesn't argue, helping her to her feet and up off the ground.

Nixie then gingerly touches her stomach, where one of her new wounds had been. A sudden freezing sensation had shot through her upon waking up, and now seemed to rest and focus on the areas where the berserker had injured her. Lifting her shirt to see it, she finds the wound not bleeding anymore. In fact, what should've normally taken at least a couple of weeks to heal, is now already sealed and scared over, as though it had happened months ago, rather than just hours.

Looking back up at Jordan, Nixie asks on bewilderment, "What the hell did you do to me?" Raising an eyebrow, Jordan asks, "You didn't hear me?" "I did… sort of. It's… well, it's kind of fuzzy to be honest. I remember the feeling, more than anything." "Feeling?" Nixie nods, and then blushes a little before saying, "Just… I was suddenly really warm. Like when you walk inside a house after having been out in the cold for a long time. It was good. Really good."

Speaking of good, though she may have been immensely out of it at the time, Nixie does remember that she had managed to steal a kiss from Jordan. Of course, she stole it when she thought she was dying and would never be able to do it again. Honestly, she'd thought of that moment as more of a dream than anything else.

Well… until now, anyways.

Jordan watches a deeper blush rush up to her skin, and as she attempts to take a step back from him, he knows what it is she must be thinking about. And he would most definitely ask her about it later. But right now, he has no intention of letting her go anywhere. Wrapping his arm around her waist, pulling her back into him, he sighs against the top of her head and says, "Never do that to me again. Ever. Understand?" Nixie blinks in confusion and asks, "Do what, exactly?"

Rolling his eyes, Jordan glances over to see everyone else finally getting back to them, before he answers, "Do not ever nearly die on me again." Nixie leans her head back to look up at him for a moment. Then she grins and asks, "You stealing my lines now?" Grinning back, he says, "Seems fitting." "Yeah. No arguments here."

And then Jordan has to let her go, because Stiles immediately yanks her into a hug when he gets back. Sighing against her, he says, "God, don't ever do that again." "Trust me, I didn't mean to do it this time." He nods, and then lets her go so she can hug everyone else. When she gets to Derek, he glows his blue eyes at her, and she beams before leaping into his arms.

Chuckling at her, Derek says, "Glad you're okay." "Yeah. Likewise. So, what happened? Since you obviously weren't actually dying." "I was evolving." As he puts her down, he laughs when Nixie says, "So Kate kick started you into evolving into an even more badass werewolf? Damn. She really screwed the pooch on this one, didn't she? For herself, I mean. Not for us. For us, this is great. Right?"

Derek nods, and then Nixie glances over at Chris and his phone when she hears Lydia say, "Good, you're alive. So now will someone please explain to me how it makes any sense for her to have nearly died in the first place? Because seriously, Nixie… what the hell? Of course we were coming for you." "I knew that."

Scott puts a hand on her shoulder and says, "But you nearly died from feeling alone." "Yeah, well, that wasn't my fault. At least… I don't think it was my fault." From over the phone, Deaton says, "It's true. The fear of loneliness belongs to the dragon half of Nixie's being. Nixie, for herself, knew you were coming. It was the dragon that couldn't understand. Again, dragons are rather visual creatures. At least, until they are in sync with the human half."

Nodding, Nixie says, "And I'm sorry, Lydia. I really did try not to become so useless in all of this. But the other side of me… it was like my mind split into two halves. The one that was human me, and then dragon me. And while human me was perfectly aware that you all were coming, I couldn't convince dragon me to understand that."

And then everyone laughs when Nixie asks Deaton, "By the way, why are dragons so freaking stupid? I threw everything I had at the other half of me, and she just kept shooting me down. I swear, it was like arguing with a brick wall. Useless."

Deaton, relief in his voice, says, "We'll talk more once you're all back home." "Sounds good, Doc."

Scott then gives Nixie a rundown of what happened while she was chained up, and then chuckles when she asks, "And you still didn't kill Peter's worthless ass?! Scott, what the hell?!"

As they're loading back up into the vehicles to head home, Stiles strategically places everyone in the vehicles in such a way that Nixie has no choice but to ride home with Jordan. Sure, Chris wasn't joining them back right away. He was staying behind with the Calaveras, forming plans to go after Kate. But that didn't actually free up a lot of space, since Kira, Scott, and Nixie all had to be brought back home as well.

Which basically meant that, so long as Stiles packed everyone else into the transport van and the vehicle that Peter had originally driven down here, Nixie had to ride with Jordan.

She was nervous about that. On edge. And Jordan knew it was because of that kiss she'd stolen from him. She was so embarrassed about it that, when they'd gotten into his vehicle, she'd climbed into the back, claiming she needed to lay down and try to rest. And in the interest of not making her feel like trying to hitch a ride with someone else again, he didn't argue about it. Yet.

But she wasn't laying down. And Jordan can feel her foot tapping against the floorboard back there, like a jackrabbit waiting to spring and sprint to safety.

Well… Jordan decides he'll just have to make sure that when she sprints, she ends up in his arms. Because before this new day was over, he would make certain that she knew his arms would be the safest place for her to end up. Always.

* * *

Chapter 12! The last one is the Epilogue, to be posted shortly. :)


	14. Epilogue

Disclaimer: "I do not own Teen Wolf. The show, the characters, and any quotes from the show belong to Jeff Davis and his amazing team of writers. I only own Nixie, and anything I make her do or say."

* * *

Epilogue

Nixie didn't realize that Jordan was driving slower than the others, just so he could have a minute alone with her. She thought he was just doing that so he didn't rattle the SUV more than necessary, since she'd claimed she needed to rest. Which, consequently, she wasn't. She was too nervous to get any rest.

Jordan finally sighs though, when he can only make out just a dot as a sign of where the vehicle is in front of them. Far enough in the distance that, even if the others turned back around, he would still have time to talk to Nixie alone and sort through at least some of what they needed to discuss. So he pulls over to the side of the road and puts the car in park.

Nixie looks up in confusion, not understanding why they suddenly stopped moving. But when she makes to get out of the car with Jordan, he turns to look at her and says, "No. You stay right there." Frowning, confused even more, she shuts her door again and waits to see what's going on. Then she blushes again when Jordan gets out, only to move so he's in the backseat with her. Then, for further emphasis, he locks all the doors so, even if someone comes back for them, they won't be able to get in and disturb them.

Looking at him again, calming her blush for a moment, Nixie asks, "What?" Jordan simply scoots over to the middle of the seat, closer to her. Then, with no preamble or anything else, he simply says, "We need to talk."

Nixie stares at him for a moment, and then raises an eyebrow and asks, "Here? You want to do this, here?" Jordan raises an eyebrow back at her and answers, "No. I wanted to do this on Friday. But then you got kidnapped, along with Scott and Kira. And then I found your bike, which nearly gave me a heart attack." Tilting his head at her, he then adds, "Now we've found you, and now you're alright. And unless you suddenly obtained a new, last minute assignment to work on from school… you should be free now. So, before anything else even remotely dangerous can happen… we are going to talk. Here."

Nixie starts blushing again, and then she also bites at her lower lip. Jordan lets out a slow breath before saying, "Nixie…" "I'm sorry I kissed you." "Why?" Looking back up at him, giving him a look that says it should be obvious, Nixie then huffs, "Because I did that when I thought I was dying. I honestly, at the time, thought you were just a hallucination. A dream or something. And I… it's embarrassing. And terrible."

Jordan tilts his head, and then grins a little before saying, "Well, I thought it was rather wonderful. Right up until we got to the part where you pulled away and said you didn't want to die, before you passed out again." She blushes even harder, and then says, "It… was not wonderful. You could not possibly have wanted to kiss me right then. I mean… maybe you don't ever. I was…" "God, you're an idiot."

He says it plainly, which is probably the part that surprises Nixie most. Then she narrows her eyes and says, "I am not…" "How's your back?" Blinking in confusion at the sudden change in topic, and at being cut off from defending herself, Nixie says, "Um… fine." "The berserker hurt you there again, right?" "Oh… yeah, he did. But then you… well, you did whatever you did to me, and everything's healed over now. Even my older wound on my back is completely healed over now." "Good."

And before Nixie can protest, or even fully realize what he's doing, Jordan reaches over to grip her right thigh in his left hand. Slipping his right arm behind her, he then lifts her up and pulls her over, until he has her shifted so she's sitting on top of him, straddling his lap in the backseat. Nixie's eyes widen exponentially at the new position, but as she tries to push against his shoulder, to keep some sort of distance between them, Jordan locks his arm behind her back, pressing until she's up against him and as close as she could possibly get right now.

Nixie still struggles a bit for a moment. Then Jordan's hand on her thigh slides up to her hip, and Nixie freezes for a moment. He doesn't tease that point though, or even playfully poke it. But rather, his thumb simply brushes against her there in a soothing manner. Then he says gently, "Now… I am going to tell you what I did to you back there. And hopefully, that'll clear up a lot of this, so you can stop trying to get away from me. Because I have to tell you, if you keep doing that, I might actually lose my mind at this point."

She gives him a look that says she doesn't believe that, but Jordan doesn't waver on his stance, so Nixie frowns a bit before settling on giving him her full attention. Moving so he can gently run his hand up her back in a comforting way, he says, "Deaton said that Scott, as your alpha, should've been able to reach you in the state you were in when we found you. But, when he tried at that didn't work, Deaton started trying to help us figure out who your mate was. And yes, you have a mate. Apparently, you might possibly be the only supernatural creature in existence that has a mate. But, as you're not eighteen yet, and you didn't know you were supernatural until a few weeks ago, no one expected you to understand how to know that yet."

Jordan then sits up a little straighter, which forces Nixie to be closer to him. Then he says, "And after Deaton took a minute to describe a few things, Lydia said that your mate would have to be me, because you're in love with me."

Nixie's entire face turns red at that, as well as the tips of her ears. She ducks her head, refusing to meet his gaze right now. But that turns out to be a mistake, and she gasps when she feels his lips against her ear as he continues talking. Grinning a bit, he says, "The others then gave me some space so I could talk to you. And do you know what I said?" "Wake up, dumbass?"

Jordan chuckles, and feels her shiver as his lips brush against her ear again. "No, Nixie. I got this close to you, right up to your ear, and I started telling you that I wanted to hear you tell me that you loved me yourself, before I put all my hopes on that. And then I told you that, even if it weren't true, I was very certain of one thing. More sure of it than I have ever been of anything in my whole life."

Softly, he says, "I told you I love you, Nixie Haven."

Nixie thinks her heart literally stops beating in her chest for about three seconds, before it starts up again at a rapid pace. Still right at her ear, Jordan says, "I told you that I love you more than I ever imagined possible. More than anything and anybody than I've ever met or known. And then I told you that you weren't allowed to die on me, not after you made me feel this way."

Sighing in relief, he leans back enough to see her face, and says, "And then you woke up… and everything in my world was right again."

For a moment, all Nixie can do is stare at him. Then she asks sarcastically, "And you're calling me an idiot?" Jordan tilts his head in confusion, but then grins when Nixie says, "I mean, why on earth would you ever doubt Lydia? She's literally a genius. I've told you this. Of course I love you."

She bites her lip after saying that last part, slightly nervous again. Jordan reaches up, cupping the back of her head in his hand and drawing her in closer. Letting out a heavy breath, he says, "I told you to stop that." Nixie nods that she remembers, and then slowly lets her lip slip back out from between her teeth. Then she asks daringly, "Why?"

Jordan couldn't have fought against it anymore after that, even if he'd actually wanted to. He didn't even merit her question with a verbal response. He just pulls her the rest of the way in, molding his lips to hers.

Nixie doesn't understand how a kiss can be tender and gentle, and yet also deep and passionate, at the same time. But it is. Sighing into his mouth, Nixie moves her hands from his shoulders to hold the back of his head, fingers weaving into his hair while she tries to pull herself even closer to him for a change. Since Jordan clearly didn't have to keep her locked against his body anymore, he slid his hands down to her thighs, and then began tracing up her sides with them. Over her hips, up her sides, across her back, and then back down again. And as he tilts his head, offering for a deeper kiss, he can't help a slight grin when Nixie takes complete and total advantage of it.

Air becomes a necessity after a while, and Nixie initially curses her need for oxygen when she pulls back. But Jordan hums in approval as her fingers continue running through his hair. Sliding his lips down to her neck, he kisses her there tenderly. Nixie's fingers grip the back of his head tighter in response, and as he reaches the smooth curve of her neck, they tremble against him. Smiling, Jordan then sucks gently against that sensitive spot, and takes great pride in the wistful sigh that escapes Nixie's lips from his attention.

When he finally pulls back, one last gentle kiss placed on her neck, Jordan says, "Now… since we have that settled finally, we need to sort out what we're going to do until you turn eighteen." Huffing, Nixie asks, "What is the deal with me and eighteen being this magical number? I mean… really?" Jordan chuckles, and then looks up at her when Nixie finally leans back.

Looking down at him, Nixie sighs and says, "I… don't know what you have in mind. Your patience, at least in my opinion, far exceeds mine. And I… I would rather not go back to simply dancing around each other. I…" Jordan nods and says, "Yeah, that's not an option. Ironically enough, wherever you happen to be concerned or involved, also happens to be where my patience is always most questionable."

Nixie laughs at that, and then leans into his hand when he reaches up to cup her cheek. Smiling, Jordan says, "We can't be together publicly though. Among your friends, we'll be fine. But to the public eye…" Nixie nods in understanding, "I know."

Jordan waits for her to say something else, and then smiles again when she says, "As long as we can squeeze in plenty of private time here and there, I can handle that if you can." Chuckling, Jordan says, "You can come to my house whenever you want. How's that for a start?" "Excellent. And I'm pretty sure Lydia would be all for us borrowing the lake house, if we ever needed to."

Jordan leans his head back to laugh, and then cards his fingers through her hair gently before saying, "We will make this work. Okay?" Nixie nods, and answers, "Yeah. Besides, I'm not really planning on giving you much of a choice." "Oh, is that right?" "Yep. I'm afraid you're just stuck with me now."

Nixie lets out a soft gasp when Jordan slips one hand beneath her camisole, just enough to touch the bare skin at her side. Grinning, giving her hip a gentle squeeze, Jordan says, "I can think of worse places to be stuck." Nixie smiles back, and then blushes again when Jordan adds, "By the way, this is by far, the skimpiest thing I've ever seen you wearing. And since this has to be what you were wearing on your way to see me… why were you dressed like this?"

He smirks as she blushes, and then she says, "Oh, shut up. Lydia picked it out. And I had a vest to go with it, but that damn berserker tore it off and ripped it to shreds. Which reminds me, I need a new vest." Frowning, she then adds, "And I need to pay to fix my bike. Shit. That's gonna…" Jordan shushes her and says, "Don't worry about the bike. Don't worry about anything right now."

Nixie meets his gaze, and then narrows hers and asks, "What did you do with my bike?" "That's a surprise." And as she raises her eyebrows at him, he chuckles and says, "You're not getting anything out of me until we get back home." But as Nixie somehow scoots closer, running her fingers through his hair again, she asks, "You sure about that?"

It was amazing how much more confidence she had, now that they had both made their feelings crystal clear. Jordan sighs at how amazing it feels, her fingers combing through his hair. Then he concedes, "No. You could probably get it out of me. But I would like it to be a surprise." Nixie smiles, and then says, "Fine. For the record though, it might take us a while to get moving on towards home again. I'm quite comfortable right now."

Chuckling, Jordan asks, "Is that right?" "Yep. Probably should've left me in my own seat." "I didn't enjoy that nearly as much." Nixie drops her head onto his shoulder while she laughs, and then slides her arms further around his neck. Jordan wraps his arms around her as well, holding her as tight as he can. Sighing, he says, "I was serious. Don't ever nearly die on me again." "I will do my utmost to try. I promise." "Good."

They stay like that for a few more minutes, and then Nixie sighs and says, "We should probably move. I'm about to fall asleep." Jordan smiles and kisses her neck gently before saying, "Maybe now you can lay down and actually get some sleep." "Doubtful. I'm moving up front with you. If that's okay?" "It sounds perfect."

Smiling, she kisses his cheek, and then says, "Okay. Um… let's…" But before she can move off of him, Jordan pulls her back into kiss her again. Sighing against his lips, she then jumps slightly and trembles when his thumbs gently sink into the hollows of her hips, swirling there in a teasing and tempting fashion.

When he finally pulls back again, he smiles and says, "Alright. Here." He helps her off of him, and then unlocks the doors and they both hop out from her side. As he opens the front passenger door for her, Nixie pauses at it and asks, "Why do you always open the door for me?" Jordan raises an eyebrow, and then says, "Because my grandmother taught me to always open doors for beautiful women that matter a lot to me." Nixie blushes, but then smiles and says, "I'd like to meet her someday. I think we'd get a long really well." "I have no doubt about that."

And Nixie does fall asleep about another hour into the ride. Jordan keeps her hand in his though, resting on the console between them. And as he looks over at her peaceful expression, nothing pleases him more than knowing he can make her feel so at ease. He makes her nervous, anxious, thrilled, and excited too. But it was nice to see that his presence also helped her relax. Much like her presence did for him.

It's a good thing, he knows that much. Because after this… well, Lydia still has a plan for letting everyone see Nixie's scars. And something tells Jordan that she is not going to be comfortable with it. Not one little bit.

* * *

Nixie pulls up at the Scott's house, school officially being over about a week ago, and a pack meeting… gathering… hang out day… whatever you wanted to call it. Anyways Scott had requested that everyone in the pack come to his house for the day, just to be together in a time when it didn't feel like the world was ending.

Coming up the steps, Nixie pauses just outside when she hears Kira from inside saying, "I don't know you guys. I mean… she promised to tell us about them, but I really don't think she's going to go for this. In fact… yeah, I really don't think this is our greatest idea." Stiles counters, "None of our ideas are ever our best ideas. Most of them, if not all of them, are downright dangerous and borderline idiotic. We've been through this."

Then Lydia's voice says, "She'll do this. We just, you know, have to promise that she doesn't have to stay dressed this way the whole time. Just long enough for us to see and hear about all of them." Scott agrees by saying, "Which is why Lydia asked Jordan to bring a spare shirt of his that she could change into."

So… if it hadn't already been obvious that they were talking about her beforehand, Nixie definitely knows they're talking about her now. Backing up a step, not liking where this was heading, she was about ready to sprint back down the stairs and to her bike.

She didn't even get to turn around. She managed three steps back, and then hands gently landed on her arms. Rubbing up and down soothingly, Jordan then asks softly, "Going somewhere?" "Yep. A place called 'Far, Far, Away'." Chuckling, he brushes her ponytail out of his way so he can kiss her neck. Nixie instantly tilts her head to the side so he can have more access, and he tugs gently against her skin with his lips in response.

He pulls back after a moment, and then says, "You'd only be putting off the inevitable. Best to get it over with." Sighing, Nixie says, "I know. I just… they seem to be very… very…" Jordan nods and says, "Worried? Yeah. You shouldn't be surprised by that though." "Why not? They're scars. I'm not hurt anymore." "But you were at one point, and you never told them. So be braced for the worry, shock, and maybe even a little bit of horror in their eyes as they see what's happened to you since all this started."

Nixie nods, and then leans back into him while saying, "You're only trying to convince me to stay because I haven't explained them all to you yet either." "Oh, absolutely. How did you ever figure out that master plan?" Grinning, Nixie adds, "Well, I am pretty smart you know." "Indeed."

Jordan kisses right beneath her ear and says, "Come on. Sooner you get it over with, the sooner we can all sit down and watch a movie." "Fine."

When she still doesn't move, Jordan gently nudges her forward, and then knocks on the door before wrapping his arms around her waist. Kissing the side of her head, he says, "It's going to be fine. They just want to see what you've been through for them." "They don't need to though! I'm fine now." "But you weren't." "So what?! Everyone's been hurt at some point or another."

The door opens, and as Scott looks Nixie over, he says, "But nobody's been hurt as much as you have. You've seen to that, personally." Nixie sighs and then says, "You're lucky Jordan showed up just a minute ago. Or I would've been gone already."

Scott smiles gently, and then says, "Come on in." And after they walk inside, she hears Scott whisper to Kira, "Maybe lock the door. Might delay her a bit." Giving him a look, Nixie rolls her eyes when he just shrugs impishly. Then Nixie turns around to see everyone else in the room.

And yes… it is everyone. Not just the core members of the pack. Noah, Melissa, both Kira's parents, Deaton, Chris, and even Derek and Braeden, before they were scheduled to take off again. Nixie looks around the room for a moment, and then looks to Lydia and says, "So… when you said everybody… you literally meant…" "Yep."

And then Nixie sees the skimpy little shirt that Lydia is holding. The straps are practically non-existent, just two pieces of string on either side. And the rest of the shirt is low cut enough as it is… and then the bottom half is missing.

Nixie stares at it for a moment, and then says, "That is not a shirt." "It's a halter top." She gives Lydia a look, "I say again, that is not a shirt. There is not enough material there to count as an actual piece of clothing." Lydia sighs and comes up to her. Hugging Nixie, Lydia says, "You only have to wear it long enough for us to see all of them. This just makes it easier. Please?"

Nixie glances at the rest of the room for a moment, and then sighs and says, "Fine. But I am very unhappy about this. Immensely, unhappy." Lydia nods, and then guides her into the kitchen to change while everyone waits. Jordan takes up a post in the doorway of the living room that leads across the hall from the kitchen. Scott moves to stand on his other side, and then says, "Thanks for keeping her here."

Jordan nods, but he's not actually thrilled about this either. Not necessarily concerning the part where everyone sees her scars. They needed to know… needed to see just how serious she was when she said she would die for them. He was not, however, pleased with the attire Lydia was planning on putting her in. In order for Jordan to even be able to tend to Nixie's wounds that he'd helped with, Nixie had been shirtless and her bra had to be unclipped. This wasn't like that… but this also wasn't just him and her. This was everyone.

So no… he wasn't thrilled with this. But, he did understand it's necessity.

When Nixie walks back in, her scars on almost full display, everyone in the room gasps, jerks, or stares at her in stunned silence. Even Lydia, who had helped her change, still had tears in her eyes from looking over Nixie's form.

She watches them all for a moment or two, trying to let them get their bearings. Then she finally says, "So… either someone starts asking me questions about them, or I'm changing back, right now."

Never the one to ever completely fail for words, Stiles says, "So… we're just gonna point and… you tell us how it happened. If we need more details, we'll ask. Sound good?" "Sure." Lydia gestures to her left shoulder at the front, and asks, "This one?" Sighing, Nixie says, "You do know how to pick em', don't you?"

Lydia shrugs helplessly, so Nixie smiles to assure her that she's not mad. Touching that scar gingerly, Nixie says, "My mother. The day she… officially snapped, for the first time." Everyone pauses for a moment at that. Then Kira points out her left bicep, and asks, "That was from when you saved Lori? Right?" Nixie nods, happy to have another one out of the way.

Scott draws her further into the room so everyone can see her back as well. Melissa, in particular, clamps a hand over her mouth, tears falling from her eyes when she sees the two long scars that stretch down her back from one side to the other. She gestures to them next, but can't bring herself to speak. So Scott gently touches both of them and asks, "These, Nix?" Nixie nods and says, "Um… the bottom one was from when I was chained up in the church. The top one…"

Nixie can't help glancing at Liam, who widens his eyes before standing up and saying, "I thought he missed you." "Yeah, not exactly." When Scott looks to Liam for an explanation, Liam says, "The night we medically killed you and were trying to catch the benefactor. Nixie came to join us on the roof to fight a berserker. She… I'm not even sure how she did it fast enough. One minute it looked like he was about to take my head off, and the next… Nixie was over top of me, protecting me."

He looks to Scott frantically and says, "I swear, I thought he missed her. If I… If I'd known I wouldn't have…"

Nixie snaps her eyes up to him, and then says, "Whoa, whoa! Back the train up!" Gesturing to him with a stern finger, she says, "You don't get to blame yourself for me jumping in front of you. That's not on you. I did it. I decided to do it. That is entirely on me. And don't you dare argue with me."

Then she turns to Scott. Giving him a firm look, she says, "No one is allowed to look at me and think any of this is their own fault. I swear to God I will change back and leave so fast, it'll be a miracle if you even see it happen."

Scott puts a hand on her shoulder and says, "Okay, Nix. We get it." Looking to everyone else, he asks, "Right?" They all nod, Liam included, and then Scott looks her over again. Gesturing to the scar on her right arm, he asks, "This one?"

Nixie glances down at it, and then also touches the scar resting higher up on her left side. "Both of these were from that berserker that found you guys at the school. At the beginning, when all this first started." Nodding, Scott then looks to the others, silently saying that someone else should ask next.

Jordan actually gestures towards her left hip and asks, "Where did that come from?" Nixie looks down to that, and then says, "Um… mom again. The day we got you to take us to Eichen to talk to Meredith." Tilting his head, Jordan asks, "And you didn't tell me about that?" "No."

At his stern gaze, she says, "Okay, look. First of all, you hadn't seen any of them at that point, and I still wasn't in a sharing mood about them. And second of all, compared to everything else, this was child's play. I am fine."

Jordan raises an eyebrow, and Nixie can feel that he's not entirely satisfied with that. But he lets it slide, turning his attention back to Scott so he knows that Jordan's done for now.

Melissa comes forward and gingerly touches near her right shoulder blade. Tracing over that one, she asks, "Nixie, where…" Nixie sighs and says, "That was Ennis, the freakishly tall alpha from the alpha pack. That night Scott wanted to try and go talk to Deucalion, which obviously didn't go over too well." Noah comes up beside Melissa and asks, "And what's this one on the back of your neck from? This small one?" Nixie answers, "That was Deucalion himself. He left that when he was seeing into my mind."

Scott and everyone already know that the other three higher up on her neck are from him when they entered Stiles' mind to save him from the Nogitsune. Speaking of which, Scott spots the scar on her lower back, incredibly close to the base of her spine. Touching it, he's about to ask about that one, when Nixie grips his elbow and whispers, "Not now." "Nix…" "Not in front of Stiles."

Scott looks to her for a moment in confusion, but then realizes why she doesn't want that. And he would've let it go… he really would have.

Except Stiles saw the communication between them, and instantly moved forward. Finding what Scott was looking at, Stiles asks, "Where is that one from?" "Stiles, I…" Moving in front of her, he says, "Nixie, you promised. No more secrets. No more hiding. Just… tell me. Where did it come from?"

Nixie stares at him for a moment more, and then reaches up to put a firm hand on his shoulder. Squeezing, she says, "It… was from the very first time you gave the Nogitsune control over your mind. He forced you to let him take over, and let him in. And he did that… by threatening me. I think I told you that he roughed me up a bit or maybe hit me really hard, but that… he, um… well, he cut into me right there and threatened to move the blade over and cut into my spinal cord, unless you gave him dominance over your mind."

Stiles stares at her for so long, Nixie worries that he's about to just fall down in the floor. But then he says softly, "I hurt you." "No… no! Stiles, no! He hurt me. The Nogitsune, hurt me. Not you." "Nixie, he was me." "He was never you. Remember? I could always tell the difference. You were never anything alike."

Scott puts a hand on Stiles' other shoulder, and says, "She's right." Stiles looks up at him, and then back to Nixie. Sighing, he says, "I'm still sorry." "I know. And that's why I didn't want you to hear about it." "And I get that one, I really do, Nix. But we need to know about these things. God… look at you."

Nixie does, and then shrugs and says, "I think I still look pretty good." Stiles laughs at the joke, but when Nixie looks over at Jordan, he lets his eyes slowly rake over her from top to bottom. When he gets back to her eyes, he smirks and winks at her, which does nothing to help Nixie settle down any faster.

Malia was about to ask why her heart was racing faster now, but Noshiko beats her and asks, "What about this one?" Nixie glances down towards her right hip, and then says, "Yeah, that would be the alpha with the severally creepy toe nails. Seriously. She was a bit freaky."

Lydia nods in agreement, and then points to the left side of her stomach. The larger crescent shape was smoother than the other one, but Lydia wanted to know about this knew was first. Nixie touches it and says, "That's also from the berserker in the church when I was chained up. And just for the record, there's a cut on my right thigh too, but I'm not stripping out of my pants for you to see it. Just… trust me, it's there."

Everyone offers up a little laugh, and then Lydia gently reaches up to touch the scar that extends from her right collar down towards the center of her chest. Tracing it a bit, Lydia asks, "This one?" Nixie sighs and says, "That was… well, I'm not sure exactly who it was. Either Gerard or one of the men with him. They um… they…" Stiles crosses his arms and says, "Full disclosure, Nix."

She gives him a look, but then sighs again before saying, "They strapped me down to a table and one of them carved that into me. This was the night when Gerard was trying to kidnap you, and I forced him to take me instead."

Stiles pinches the bridge of his nose at that, but it was Chris who suddenly shouted, "What?!" Nixie jumps and asks, "What do you mean, 'what'? And quit shouting." "Nixie, I found you that night, after you helped Boyd and Erica escape. Why didn't you tell me?" "Because I had already patched myself up, and I was fine. And I needed to get to Scott and the others so I could help stop Gerard from becoming an even worse supernatural creature than Kate is."

Pointing at her, Chris says, "But that's not all they did to you. Did they do that before or after they tried electrocuting you?" Nixie grits her teeth as the rest of the room jerks or gasps in shock. Stiles points to Chris and says, "Thank you for that. I'd almost forgotten Brunski mentioning that to us before he tried to kill us."

Lydia nods in agreement, and then says, "He said they electrocuted you for as long as it took for you to go unconscious. And that you never screamed… not once the whole time." Nixie nods, and when Stiles looks at her like she's crazy, Nixie says, "What?! It's what he wanted, and I didn't want to give him the satisfaction. So there."

Scott runs a hand through his hair and says, "They really hurt you." Nixie looks at him and says, "I am tougher than I look. You know that by now. I can take a lot." Scott flashes his red eyes at her and says, "Do not keep these things from us again. Ever." Nixie stares at him a moment more, but then nods and says, "I promise."

And finally, Lydia touches the crescent shaped scar on the right side of her stomach. Much cruder than the one left by the berserker, Lydia asks, "And this… this one was Peter?" Nixie nods, and then sighs before looking over at Stiles. Gesturing to him, she says, "The night Peter almost killed Lydia. When he kidnapped you and I came after you." Stiles nods, and then freezes when Nixie asks, "You remember how I told you to leave and I would be right behind you?" "Yeah." "Well… I wasn't as directly behind you as I would've liked."

To Scott, Nixie says, "He offered me the bite… to join him. I basically told him to go to hell. He was going to bite me anyway… but I took him down a few pegs." When that clearly isn't enough for them, Nixie elaborates, "I kneed him in the balls, punched him in the gut and face. Then I found a crowbar nearby and wailed on him for a good minute. I was trying to make him go unconscious… but that didn't work. He wolfed out on me and pinned me to the ground. Well… after he threw me into one of the concrete wall. And then… he carved this into my stomach."

Stiles flails and asks, "And we didn't need to know about that?!" Nixie glances at him, but then turns back to Scott and says, "It was… supposed to be a message. To you. It was supposed to show you that he could get to us at any time, whenever he wanted, and that if you didn't join him, he would do worse. And… well, ever after we managed to kill him… I didn't want to give him the satisfaction of having it delivered."

Scott nods after a moment, and then shakes his head in disbelief and says, "I just… I can't believe no one's known. This entire time." Nixie ducks her head at that, but then concedes, "Not… everyone. I… one person found out." "Who?"

Lydia pipes in softly, "Alison."

Everyone goes quiet after that, until Noshiko asks, "Is that all of them?" Nixie takes a moment to take personal inventory of herself, and then nods and says, "Yeah. Yeah, that's everything. Now, will someone please give me a better shirt to wear?"

Lydia gives her a look, but then turns to Deaton and asks, "Don't you have questions for him?" "About being a dragon? Sure. But can't I ask them in a shirt that actually counts as shirt? Geez."

Everyone laughs a bit, though some are still a bit in shock at her appearance, at all the scars she has that they never knew existed before. But while everyone was already up for Nixie putting a normal shirt back on, Stiles was still looking her over with a scrutinizing gaze. Back up to her face, he asks, "What about when Jackson was a kanima? You don't have any scars from him?" Nixie shakes her head, "No. He never actually hurt me." "Nixie! He slammed your head down on the side of the pool, and nearly drowned you!"

Nixie takes a moment to ponder that, while the rest of the room freezes immediately. Scott was the only other one who already knew that, along with Derek. But everyone else is gaping at her again. Then Nixie sighs and says, "In my defense, I'd sort of forgotten about that. But I don't have a scar from that. I just… had a really bad headache for a while."

Stiles gives her a look and says, "Scott and I had to perform CPR to make sure you didn't die, Nixie. You did not just have a headache for a while." Nixie gives him a look back, and then gentles her expression. "Stiles, I don't have any scars from that. It happened, and it sucked. But you guys saved me, and I got over my headache. So, we're all fine now. Yippee."

To try and lighten the mood more, and also to change the subject, Nixie turns to Deaton and asks, "So… I'm a dragon? That's an actual thing?" Nodding, he says, "Yes, my dear." "So… do I get wings out of this deal? Because that would be pretty great." Chuckling in earnest now, he says, "I'm afraid I couldn't say. It's possible, I suppose." "Come on, Doc. I'm a dragon! I have to have wings. And if I don't get them… well, then I'm going to find a way to sue the supernatural, as a whole, for gipping me."

No one goes back to being fully happy yet… but it's a start when everyone laughs again. Lydia rolls her eyes, and then says, "Yeah, well, you better hold off on that. You don't officially have access to everything until you're eighteen." "And again, I have to ask, what is it with eighteen being this magical number for me? Seriously, it's everywhere. And since it's everywhere, Noah, you and I should have a very serious discussion about when I'm legally allowed to drink."

Noah raises an eyebrow and says, "Yeah, that's gonna be a no." "Ah, come on." But she smiles at him, and then turns back to Deaton. "So… what happens then? When I turn eighteen? Like, am I going to need to lock myself up on full moons or anything like that?" "No, Nixie. The moon has no sway over you, the way it does werewolves. And I don't think you'll have a problem controlling your abilities, so long as you and your dragon can see eye to eye on a quick basis. And I don't think you'll have any issues with that either. At least, we can hope." "Amen to that. And how do you know all of this?" "I've been reading. And will continue to do so, in the hopes that I can help you prepare for what comes next." "Sweet. Thanks, Doc."

Nixie then addresses the rest of the room, asking, "So… can we eat now? And for the love of all things holy, can I please put on a different shirt. Because this… yeah, this is definitely not me." While others are chuckling, Melissa says, "Alright. Pizza's in the kitchen. Let's all get some and then pop in a movie."

And then everyone groans when Nixie says, "You can never go wrong with a Clint Eastwood film. Just throwing that out there."

She grins at everyone's groan, and then waits for most of them to exit the room before turning her eyes to Jordan. Coming up to him after that, she asks softly, "Do you… have a shirt I could borrow?" Smiling gently, he nods and pulls out the one that he's had hanging out of his back pocket since he arrived. Helping her slip it on, he chuckles at her instant relief, and then asks, "You okay?"

Nixie nods, and then looks up at him shyly and asks, "You?" He takes a deep breath, and then says, "It worries me… that you've been hurt so much. And how you've been hurt and why. I… You're brave and I don't want to demean that. But Nixie… you have to be more careful." Cupping her face in his hands, he says, "I can't lose you. At all, but much less to something as ridiculous as you drowning."

Nixie points at him upon that comment and says, "Okay, in my defense, I really had forgotten about that. Or… not forgotten, but pushed to the back of my mind. And I only nearly drowned because he slammed my head down hard enough to knock me unconscious." "Nixie, that does not make it any better." Nixie nods after a moment, and then says softly, "I will try to be more careful. But I will always, without fail, protect my friends and family. I cannot change that, or promise to act any differently in that respect." Jordan nods and says, "I know. I understand." "Good."

She kisses him lightly after that, and them smiles and whispers, "Brace yourself. Noah at your nine o'clock."

And as he walks up to both of them, Noah points and says, "Alright. Deaton explained to me that you guys are mates and all. And I respect that. But as sheriff, I still have half a mind to not let either of you out of my sight, and to put a ruler between you two, even now. And you, Nixie… I've considered trying to ban you from the station, unless it's an absolute emergency."

Nixie shrugs and says, "We always have an emergency. I don't think you'd be able to make that stick very well. Just saying." Deaton comes up to stand with them and says, "I don't mean to argue too much with the sheriff of Beacon Hills. I know what the law says. And yes, the age difference between them, for right now, is a problem." To Nixie and Jordan, he stresses, "You will have to be careful."

They both nod, already knowing that. Then Deaton looks to Noah and says, "But… as far as keeping them apart… that won't be possible. Nixie can't be cut off from him."

And though not necessarily the worst news she's ever heard, Nixie frowns and asks, "Why?" Then she immediately turns to Jordan and adds, "Not that having to be near you is ever going to be a bad thing. It's more, like, a bonus, shall we say." Jordan chuckles, but then nods in agreement when Nixie asks again, "But why?"

Deaton answers, "Because of who you are, Nixie. And because he is your mate. You know that he's yours now, and so does the dragon inside. You could go a day, maybe two for right now, without seeing or hearing from him. And you'd still be fine. But any more than that… and your mind, as it always tends to do, would begin wondering what was wrong, why you hadn't seen him, if he was in trouble… and the list goes on. All the questions you usually ask about Lydia when no one has seen her within six hours… you will eventually ask about him."

Nixie nods, and Deaton continues, "And because he is your mate, that restlessness you feel when you can't find your friends. That feeling of needing to be close by to protect them… it'll be stronger where Jordan is concerned. It's amplified, because he is yours." Then to Noah, Deaton says, "Even if you tried to lock her away from him… she'd eventually just break down every door she had to, in order to see him and verify for herself that he was still okay. Even if, on some level, she is perfectly aware that he's fine. As I've been saying. The dragon is a very visual creature."

Noah stares at Deaton for a moment, and then says, "So… basically, what you're telling me is that I can't tell the two of them to stay completely apart until she's eighteen." Deaton nods, though he cautions again, "You can tell them to be careful. Though I'm sure they are already well aware. But no… keeping them apart would not work, nor would it be a good idea."

Noah turns his attention to Nixie, and then huffs before chuckling, "Don't give me that look. You know perfectly well that I'm not going to actually ban you from seeing him. Just… keep the public displays of affection at a bare minimum. Hugs are fine, because you hug everyone, but nothing more."

Nixie smiles up at him and nods her consent. Then, for emphasis on the hugging, she moves forward and wraps him up in a tight hug. Noah laughs and gives her a gentle pat on the head before saying, "Alright. Go eat, the both of you." But before they can walk into the kitchen, Nixie freezes when Deaton says, "Someone should also bring to mind the time when Nixie practically gave herself an actual heart attack from being Alison, Stiles, and Scott's emotional tethers."

Jordan pinches the bridge of his nose and says, "Nixie…" "I know, I know! But I don't have a scar from that either! I forgot… well, okay, not forgot. I just…" "Pushed it to the back of your mind? Yeah, got it. Out of curiosity, just how far back am I going to have to dig before I actually hear everything that's happened to you?"

Nixie ponders that a moment, and then Jordan can't help chuckling when she says, "Yeah, we should maybe get Scott to help with that. He and Stiles have been here for everything at this point. They should know what I'm leaving out. Hopefully."

After that, they went about getting food. And Nixie didn't realize that everyone else had already left the room. Not until Jordan's hands suddenly land on her hips. Nixie gasps in surprise as his lips find the curve of her throat, teasing her there with a smirk on his face. Nixie sighs at first, but then turns around to face him and says, "Jordan! Everyone is right in the other room." He nods, but seems undeterred. Then he simply holds a finger up to his lips before leaning down to press his lips against hers.

Nixie sighs again, and discards her plate of pizza onto the counter so her hands can wrap around his shoulders. Jordan braces his hands on the island behind her, trapping her there with his arms on either side. But after he pulls back for a second, Nixie can't help but grin when his hands lift to find her face, drawing her in for more. He tilts his head and traces her lips with the tip of his tongue. And he smirks again when Nixie trembles at the action.

She does manage to push away from him a bit though. A hand pressing against his chest, she says, "Jordan, you know I love kissing you. But there are werewolves in there that can hear all these kissing noises, if they care to try." Jordan shrugs carelessly and says, "Then I guess they should choose to ignore us and the sounds we're making."

Nixie laughs, and then leans forward to kiss him again. He hums in approval against her lips, and then smiles when she drops back down, only to rest her head on his chest. Breathing him in deeply, Nixie says, "We can do this. Right?" Jordan nods and Nixie can feel him kiss the top of her head before he says, "Yes, Nixie. We can, and we will, do this."

Nixie smiles and hugs him tighter. Then she leans back and says, "By the way, Noshiko already told me that you are welcome to come to their house as often as you'd like. But, there will be no hanky-panky in her house. Those are Ken's words, not mine."

Jordan raises an eyebrow at that, but then tilts his head curiously before asking, "Hanky-panky huh? Now… I wonder what all exactly falls under that category?" As his eyes find hers, he can't help grinning when her eyes widen as he moves towards her again. She backs up to the counter across the room, and then blushes a bit when Jordan traps her there again. He just puts his arms on either side of her, his hands braced against the counter behind her.

Tilting his head again, he asks, "Do you think this would count?" Nixie narrows her eyes at him, but there's no real heat in her gaze. Then she shrugs and says, "I mean… technically we're just standing here, so I guess we'd be okay." Nodding, Jordan moves his hands to her hips, squeezing there gently before smoothing his hands up her sides and back down again. Repeating the process, he asks, "And if I do this?" Nixie had already started relaxing into his touch, and she sighs before saying, "I think we'd still be okay. That feels really nice by the way."

Jordan presses a kiss to her forehead while continuing the action. Then he chuckles when Nixie says, "That'll be fine too. Everyone gives me kisses on the head, so I don't see how they could ban you from doing that." Jordan nods, and then presses a kiss to her temple, which counts as they same thing in Nixie's eyes.

Then he gets to her ear, and as he nips at the lobe teasingly, he feels Nixie's breath hitch. Smirking, he asks, "And what about that?" Her words already sound breathless when she says, "Um… probably not. Though that's more my fault. Pretty sure I make it look worse than it is. Plus, if they try to have a conversation with me right now… yeah, this would not be okay."

Jordan nods, but he's not done yet. And Nixie can feel his smirk on his lips as he moves across her skin, before it vanishes so he can start planting open-mouthed kisses on the curve of her neck. Sucking tenderly at the tender curve there, feeling her tremble in his hands, he asks softly, "And this?"

Nixie's hands, which she'd managed to keep at her side for the rest of this, move up to grip at his sides, as though trying to keep him where he is. He tugs a little harder at the curve of her neck in response, smiling when her hands tremble as a result. Then she says breathlessly, "Um… definitely not okay. I'm pretty sure me panting is not something they want to hear."

Jordan lets out a soft laugh at that, but he's still not finished. And Nixie finds herself both wishing he'd stop, and then also wishing that he'd never quit, at the same time. She couldn't explain it. Of course, she'd never really dated, so she didn't have a lot of experience knowing what she did and didn't like. Consequently, Jordan found that to be just another fascinating thing about her.

And one thing they'd both found, was that Nixie absolutely loved when his lips would pull and suck seductively at her skin. She loved his lips on her at all, but that in particular was a favorite. And if he added his teeth, at all, into the mix, she became like putty in his hands.

So rather than releasing her right now, Jordan decides to be mean. He knows they've been in here far longer than anyone else. He knows that there is no way that the others don't already know what Jordan and Nixie are doing at this point. And he doesn't care.

And as he begins nibbling at her neck, trailing up the firm column that is her throat and back down again, Nixie finds that she can't bring herself to care either. At least, not about moving any time soon. She does bite her lip, hard, trying to avoid alerting anyone in the other room to exactly what they're doing.

A tiny moan escapes her lips anyway, and Jordan smirks again before returning to the curve and nipping and sucking there with abandon.

Nixie finally manages to put a hand against his chest and push him back from her. Not far, but far enough that he can't kiss her again right now. Meeting her narrowed eyes, he simply grins, completely unrepentant. And all Nixie can do is laugh before saying, "You are not supposed to be tempting me into breaking laws with Noah directly in the other room." Jordan shrugs and says, "Sorry." "Oh, you most certainly are not." But she laughs again, and Jordan can't help smiling down at her.

When he comes forward again, Nixie's hand on his chest is ineffective. Not that she was trying to still keep him away anyways. Finding her lips with his once more, he gives her a gentle kiss before beginning to pull away.

He should've known that wouldn't happen though. Soon as he began backtracking, Nixie's hands moved up to grab hold of his head, pulling him back to her. And as she tilted her head for a deeper kiss, parting her lips in invitation, Jordan gives a soft groan of approval. Her arms wrap around behind his neck, pulling them even closer together.

She is surprised when Jordan bends down a little further, his hands slipping down to her thighs. And then he picks her up and sets her down on the counter that he'd had her pinned against a moment ago. He pulls her thighs to wrap around his waist and then slides his hands to roam over her back, sides, arms, and thighs. Nixie's fingers weave into his hair, tugging gently, but in no real effort to make him quit.

Nixie could've stayed there all day, if she's honest. But they both finally pull apart when they hear Noshiko clear her throat loudly from the doorway. Jordan lets his head land on Nixie's shoulder, while she looks over at Noshiko, a blush already rapidly rushing through her skin.

But, as far as the parents went, Noshiko was the most understanding and lenient with them. A gentle smile on her face, she says, "They are waiting on you to start the film. And I have been told to inform you that it is a Clint Eastwood movie."

And Jordan couldn't have stopped laughing if he'd wanted to, when Nixie says, "Tell them they can go ahead and start it. I've seen all his films. Besides, do I look like I care about Clint Eastwood that much right now?" Noshiko grins as well, and then nods before exiting the room.

Nixie would've gone right back to kissing Jordan after that, except they both couldn't help laughing when they heard Stiles exclaim, "What?! What is he doing to her in there that makes her not want to watch Eastwood?!"

Jordan lifts his head to look at Nixie, and then he chuckles when she says, "So… for the record, this would definitely not be okay. The first one, where you kissed me softly, would be fine. After that though, you'd probably be banned from the house for a week… or a month. I'm not really sure how strict Ken is going to be on that." Jordan nods, then raises an eyebrow and says, "For the record, the rest of this that happened beyond that soft kiss… that was all your fault."

Nixie shrugs, non-repentant, and says, "Show some will power, Jordan." "Oh, excuse me?" He tickles her sides for two seconds, laughing when she jerks and clamps her hands down over his to stop him. She narrows her eyes at him, but he just shrugs and then gently picks her up off the counter to set her back on her feet.

Kissing the top of her head, he asks, "Alright. You ready to eat?" "I've been ready to eat. Like, yesterday, I was ready. You have just been, very effectively, distracting me." "Is that right? Well, please forgive me." "I suppose." She kisses his cheek and smiles before grabbing her plate and waiting for him to get his. And then she refuses to meet anyone else's gaze when the walk back into the living room.

Lydia, however, is the only one who looks at them with a smirk of her own. The others, whether because they want to give Jordan and Nixie a little space, or because they felt Nixie had been through enough today; they decided to just go ahead and start the movie.

And as it plays, Nixie looks around the room at everyone; at all her friends and family. The parents were all at a table in the dining room portion of the room, which was near the back. Talking and chatting, and playing a card game from the looks of it. Stiles and Malia were sitting in a chair in the corner, Malia curled up so she was half in Stiles' lap. And every time she began nibbling at his neck, Stiles would begin to sort of scramble a bit in surprise, before he'd then grip her tighter, an encouragement for her to continue.

Kira and Scott were occupying the other half of the couch that Nixie and Jordan weren't sitting on. And Kira was tossing up a piece of popcorn for Scott to catch in his mouth. When it lands on his chest instead, they both laugh silently, and then Kira picks it up and feeds it to him. Lydia is sitting in another rocking chair in the opposite corner, where a lamp also sits so she can turn it on if she feels like reading at some point. Liam, bless his soul, is sitting on a large bean bag in the floor, which had been brought down from Scott's bedroom to create enough space for everyone to sit.

Even Derek and Braeden were still here, though they had already made it apparent that, after seeing all of Nixie's scars, they were returning to Mexico. And they both had Nixie's number, and strict instructions to at least send a text, at least once a week, so Nixie could be aware that they hadn't died.

Nixie then tilts her head back to look up at Jordan, only to find his eyes already on her. She tilts her head at him, so he glances around briefly at everyone else before coming back to her. Then he tilts his own head, obviously asking if anything was wrong.

Her smile tells him no, and then she comes closer. Leaning down so she can whisper in his ear, he smiles when she says, "I'm just very happy. We're all here. We're all safe. And for now, nothing else is trying to kill us."

Jordan nods, and then slips his arm around her as she moves to rest her head on his chest. Snuggling in there, she smiles when he tightens his grip around her, pressing her even closer against him. Then he whispers softly, just for her, "I love you, Nix." "I love you too, Jordan."

She feels a kiss land on top of her head, and Nixie can't help smiling wider. Because yes, this moment of peace, wasn't going to last forever. Trouble would come again, and it would be at least just as bad, or maybe even worse than this time.

But with her family… her pack, all working together to figure it out…

With Jordan by her side as her mate, and the love of her life… Nixie knows they can do it. Come hell or high water, they can and will handle anything and everything this supernatural world can throw at them.

* * *

And it's finished! Ta Da! I do hope you enjoyed this version of Season 4. I had fun writing it, so I'm pretty pleased with it. What do you think?

Thank you to everyone who takes the time to read this. It's my longest story yet, which I know, can sometimes make the story seem daunting. I appreciate all of you. :)

I'm still leaving Season 5 alone for now. I'm still rather happy with that one and how it turned out, even before I went back to the first three seasons. So now, it's on to Season 6. I have no idea when I'll get to work on that, or when it'll be finished. But rest assured, that should be what's coming next. :)


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